SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A mine that was attached to the hull of an Iraqi oil tanker was defused two days after it was discovered, according to the Iraqi military.
The tanker was in international waters about 28 nautical miles (52 km) off Iraq’s coast in the Gulf and supplying another ship with fuel when the device was discovered on Thursday afternoon, Reuters reported.
An investigation has been opened to find out the circumstances of the incident, the Iraqi military said in a statement on Saturday (January 2).
The military said on Friday that it was not immediately clear how the mine was attached to the tanker, which was being rented by an unidentified client from Iraq’s state oil marketing organization.
Iraq has not provided further details, but two private security forms said the discovery was likely a limpet mine on the MT Pola, a Liberian-flagged tanker, according to AP.
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine that attaches to the side of a ship, usually by a diver-member of special forces. It later explodes, and can significantly damage a vessel.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.
In 2019, the U.S. blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all the world’s oil passes. Iran denies being involved.
