Pentagon reports that an Iranian drone struck a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean

According to a US Department of Defense official, an Iranian attack drone struck a chemical tanker operating in the Indian Ocean on Saturday. This is the seventh time since 2021 that Iran has attacked commercial shipping.

“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Greenwich Mean time) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran,” the official said in a statement.

An attack drone that travels one way is made to affect its target instead of going back to its starting point. The defense official declared, "A fire on board the tanker has been extinguished and there were no casualties."

The statement stated that "no U.S. Navy vessels were in the vicinity" and that "Naval Forces Central Command was in communication with the struck vessel." There are 21 crew members on board, and the Indian Coast Guard reported on social media that "the vessel has started making way towards Mumbai."

Operation Prosperity Guardian, a maritime coalition that the US launched this week, aims to strengthen security in the southern Red Sea. The Pentagon announced on Thursday that more than 20 countries have already joined the initiative.