An oil tanker off the coast of Iraq discovered an explosive object attached to the hull. The latest incident pointed to the risk to ships in the waters off the Arabian Peninsula.
The Liberian flagged Pola noticed a “suspicious object” on the ship while the cargo was unloading onto another ship, according to a statement from owner Dynacom Tankers Management, who added that all crew members are safe.
The object later turned out to be a bomb and an Iraqi naval force with an explosives team was sent to defuse the device, according to an official who refused to be mentioned. It was not immediately clear who had placed it on the tanker.
The Persian Gulf and the Red Sea are hotbeds attacks on ships in recent years, with tensions flaring between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Earlier this month explosion described by Saudi officials as a “terrorist” attack shook a ship in Jeddah harbor on the Red Sea. That incident took place just weeks after an oil tanker was damaged in a possible attack in the same water.
At the same time, there is more focus on security in the region – especially with Iran, which is subject to US sanctions – as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to succeed Donald Trump in January. Almost exactly a year ago, Trump ordered one drone strike in Iraq that killed one of Iran’s most powerful generals.
The Pola, a Suezmax-class vessel, has been anchored since November 7 and is likely used as a floating storage for oil, ship-tracking data collected by Bloomberg. At the time the hull object was discovered, the tanker appeared to be transferring cargo to the Nordic Freedom, owned by Nordic American Tankers Ltd.
The Pola buys offshore oil and, according to the official, is not affiliated with Iraq’s export terminals.
UK Maritime Trade Operations, which serves as a link between the Royal Navy and merchant ships operating in high-risk areas, initially identified the incident, without naming the ship or specifying what was attached to the hull. Maritime security adviser Dryad Global said the object was suspected of being a limpet mine, which could be attached to a ship.
The US Fifth Fleet, which operates in the region, had no further details than what UKMTO said in its notification, according to a spokeswoman.
– With the help of Julian Lee