The attack came amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7.
A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck on Saturday off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran,” the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea.
The attack came amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.
Saturday’s attack took place around 10am local time and caused no casualties aboard the vessel, it said, adding that a fire was extinguished.
The US military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India,” it added.
Food or fight? Asia’s supply chains at risk amid Red Sea attacks
The drone strike occurred 370 kilometres (200 nautical miles) off the coast of India, it said, adding that no US Navy vessels were in the vicinity.
It was the first time the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel’s war on the militant group Hamas, which is backed by Iran.
The Pentagon statement said the MV Chem Pluto ship flew under a Liberian flag and was operated by a Dutch entity, although the ship is owned by a Japanese company.
