Two oil tankers have been attacked in Iraqi waters, according to the country’s state oil marketer, prompting the nation’s oil terminals to suspend operations.
Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil, or SOMO, named the tankers as Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and Malta-flagged Zefyros.
The “two oil tankers were subjected to a cowardly act of sabotage,” Iraqi Lieutenant General Saad Maan said in comments carried by the state-run Iraqi News agency, adding that the attacks took place within the country’s territorial waters.
Safesea Vishnu was chartered by a company that’s contracted with SOMO, according to a statement posted on Facebook. Zefyros carried condensate produced by Basrah Gas Co. It was scheduled to head to Khor Al-Zubair Port in Iraq on March 12 to load an additional 30,000-ton shipment of plastics feedstock naphtha.
“This attack infringes on Iraqi sovereignty, and Iraq reserves the right to pursue the necessary legal measures,” Iraqi News agency reported Maan as saying. The report added that one crew member had died, while others were rescued.
The news prompted the country to stop operations at its oil terminals, according to comments from the director of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, carried by Iraqi News agency. Commercial ports are unaffected, the report said.
“This event negatively impacts Iraq’s security and economy, and poses a threat to the safety of maritime navigation and oil activities in Iraqi territorial waters,” the SOMO statement said.
The registered owners of the two vessels did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
