U.S.-Owned Tanker Under Attack in the Persian Gulf
A U.S.-owned oil tanker has been left in a dire situation following a brutal assault by Iran, which ignited a fire on the vessel earlier this week. According to the ship’s owner, all 28 crew members were forced to leap into the water in the middle of the night to escape. This was confirmed by a statement released on Friday.
“From our initial discussions with the surviving crew, it appears this attack was intentional and well-planned,” remarked SV Anchan, chairman of SafeSea Group, based in New Jersey.
The tanker, named Safe Sea Vishnu, was carrying around 53,000 tons of naphtha—an extremely flammable substance—when it was attacked just before midnight on Wednesday while it was anchored near Khor al-Zubair in Iraq.
“Two unmanned boats filled with explosives collided with the ship’s port side,” Anchan noted. “This indicates the extreme mentality that some hold towards the Iranian regime.”
Anchan expressed dismay over seeing “unverified video footage” showing individuals chanting “Allah Akbar” and celebrating the attack, which he described as barbaric.
He explained that the crew was caught in a “very vulnerable position” at the time of the assault, with their escape routes compromised by fire and another ship loading cargo nearby.
“We couldn’t even lower the lifeboat on the port side due to the flames,” he clarified. “On the starboard side, a daughter ship was obstructing our escape as it was tied up for cargo transfers.”
The situation escalated quickly as the fire spread, making it increasingly hazardous for the crew. Once the mooring rope of the daughter ship broke and it drifted away, a chance for survival emerged.
“In that moment of terror, all 28 crew members leaped into the sea to escape the inferno,” Anchan recounted. “Their bravery and survival instincts were crucial.”
Fortunately, rapid rescue operations by the Iraqi Coast Guard and local authorities prevented additional casualties, but tragically, one crew member lost his life underwater.
“The other 27 crew members survived and are presently safe,” Anchan confirmed.
Anchan expressed anger at how geopolitical tensions are increasingly endangering seafarers’ lives. “These men and women aren’t soldiers; they don’t engage in military operations. They are the professionals ensuring global trade, transporting essential goods like energy and food that power economies worldwide,” he highlighted.
He believes that this incident should act as a wake-up call for governments, maritime authorities, and the global community at large.
“Commercial shipping lanes cannot turn into battlegrounds. Targeting commercial shipping is unacceptable, and the lives of seafarers should never be seen as collateral damage,” he stated emphatically.
Since the onset of military operations against Iran initiated by President Trump about two weeks ago, at least 16 oil tankers and other commercial ships have reportedly been attacked in the Persian Gulf.
In response to these events, the U.S. military has seized numerous Iranian mining vessels and conducted airstrikes on a military site on Kharg Island in efforts to protect maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader has vowed to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in direct retaliation to U.S. military actions.
