December 24, 2023 08:44 am | Updated 12:39 pm IST - New DelhiA Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck on December 24 off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran,” the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea. The U.S. military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India,” it added. The Pentagon statement said the MV Chem Pluto ship flew under a Liberian flag and was operated by a Dutch entity, although the ship is owned by a Japanese company. Ambrey, a maritime security firm, said the “chemical/products tanker... was Israel-affiliated” and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India. Last month, an Israeli-owned cargo ship was hit in a suspected drone attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, according to a US official.

Source: The Hindu December 24, 2023 21:51 UTC