An Israeli-Owned Container Ship Was Reportedly Attacked In Sea Of Oman

An Israeli commercial ship was reportedly attacked in the Sea of Oman or northern Indian Ocean on Thursday or Friday and caught fire, according to Al Mayadeen TV and a US official.

This is the first time that such an incident has been reported following the seizure of a commercial vessel in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis earlier this week. The Iranian government news agency IRNA and Fars news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard both published identical texts relaying what Al Mayadeen, a network affiliated with Iran has reported.

The Associated Press also quoted an unnamed American official as saying that a suspected Iranian Shahed-136 drone was used to attack the container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire. The report said the incident happened on Friday in international waters.

According to IRNA and Fars, there are no details available. The exact location of the alleged attack in the vast area was also not mentioned. The Sea of Oman lies to the southeastern shores of Iran and straddles its border with Pakistan.

They both also published the same photo with their reports showing a vessel on fire on open seas, but it is not clear if the photo is related to the incident claimed by Al Mayadeen.

Houthis are part of Iran’s network of proxy forces in the region that have launched attacks against Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October.