One dead, 38 rescued from oil tankers ablaze in Gulf as Iran claims responsibility

One person has died, and 38 crew members have been rescued from two oil tankers that caught fire in the Persian Gulf, according to the head of Iraq’s ports company. Farhan al-Fartousi informed CNN on Thursday that the rescued crew members are all foreigners, but he did not share information about any injuries or the extent of the damage to the ships. Iran has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that an underwater drone caused the explosion that set the two oil tankers ablaze, as reported by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. An Iraqi security source in Basra mentioned to CNN that an Iranian boat, which was equipped with explosives, likely struck the two vessels, and an investigation is currently underway. Following the attack, operations at oil ports have been halted, according to al-Fartousi. The incident took place within Iraq's territorial waters, as stated by Lieutenant General Saad Maan, the head of media at Iraq’s joint operation command. He described the attack as a breach of Iraqi sovereignty and asserted that Iraq has the right to pursue legal action. Verified footage from CNN shows the two tankers engulfed in flames, with fire spreading into the surrounding water, likely due to an oil spill. Vessel tracking data reveals that both ships were anchored next to each other when the fire ignited. The vessels on fire are the Zefyros, which flies the Maltese flag, and the Safesea Vishnu, which is registered under the Marshall Islands. The Safesea Vishnu is owned by the US-based company Safesea Transport Inc., while the Zefyros is owned by a company based in Greece.