Shafaq News- Basra

A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker anchored near Iraq’s Khor al-Zubair port likely sustained a hull breach after a blast early Thursday, its operating company reported.

In a statement, Sonangol Marine Services, the US representative of the tanker Sonangol Namibe, explained that the vessel was approached by an unidentified small boat at about 1:20 a.m. local time while at anchor, before a loud bang was heard.

"The crew reports that a port ​ballast tank is losing water which suggests ​some form of hull breach but the ship remains ‌stable ⁠and safely afloat,” it added.

According to an Iraqi energy source and a shipping agent cited by Reuters, the tanker had been contracted by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and was heading to an Iraqi terminal to load about 80,000 metric tons of Iraqi fuel.

The incident comes as regional tensions remain elevated following joint US–Israeli strikes on targets inside Iran on Feb. 28, which prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against Israel and US military bases across the region.

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