December 24th 2023.
A chemical tanker sailing through the Indian Ocean was struck by a drone on Saturday, allegedly launched from Iran. The ship, Chem Pluto, was heading from Saudi Arabia to India when it was hit 230 miles southwest of Veraval, India. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
The United States claimed the ship was linked to Israel and was hit by a ‘one-way attack drone’ from Iran. To offer assistance, the Indian navy sent an aircraft and warships to the area.
The attack came as Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been striking boats passing through the Red Sea in an effort to target Israel-linked vessels amid the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The US has previously accused Iran of involvement in attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, which Iran has denied.
Earlier this month, the Royal Navy's air defence vessel, HMS Diamond, shot down a suspected drone attack in the Red Sea. In addition, the Bahamas-flagged Unity Explorer, owned by a UK company, was among three commercial vessels targeted in an attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The recent drone attacks in the Arabian Peninsula have raised international concerns over the safety of cargo ships in the region. HMS Diamond was deployed to the area two weeks ago to help protect the shipping lanes. As the conflict and threats to safety continue, the protection of vessels is more important than ever.
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