A major escalation in the West Asia conflict has allegedly claimed the life of an Indian national after an Iranian "suicide" boat reportedly targeted the US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu near the Khor Al Zubair port in Iraq. The vessel, flagged under the Marshall Islands, was attacked in Iraqi territorial waters, news agency PTI reported citing sources. While one Indian national lost his life, the remaining 27 crew members were rescued and moved to Basra, it added.
Sources close to Safesea said they were devastated by the loss of the Indian crew member. They urged the Indian government to condemn the attack firmly and push for concrete measures to safeguard Indian seafarers operating in high-risk zones. With Indians making up over 15 per cent of the global maritime workforce, the sources warned that Indian nationals could become "collateral damage" in any future attacks.
Details of the targeted oil tanker
As per information available on VesselFinder, Safesea Vishnu is a crude oil tanker built in 2007. The vessel is 228.6 meters long, 32.57 meters wide and sails under the Marshall Islands flag. It has a gross tonnage of 42,010 and a deadweight tonnage of 73,976.
Iraq calls for de-escalation
The incident comes just two days after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani conveyed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iraq must not be drawn into regional warfare. According to a report by Al Jazeera, Sudani stressed during a phone call the need to ensure that Iraqi airspace, territory and waters are not used for military operations intended to target neighbouring countries. The appeal came as Iraq reportedly witnessed heavy missile and aircraft activity soon after the conflict erupted.
Iranian President stands firm
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the only way to end the war is through recognition of Iran's rightful claims and strong global guarantees against future aggression. "In contact with the presidents of the governments of Russia and Pakistan, while announcing the Islamic Republic's commitment to peace and tranquility in the region, I emphasized that the only way to end the war that began with the warmongering of the Zionist regime and America is the acceptance of Iran's indisputable rights, payment of reparations, and a firm international obligation to prevent their aggression from recurring," he added.
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