SULAIMANI (ESTA) — An Iraqi oil tanker was evacuated after a mine was discovered attached to its hull, the military said on Friday.
The military said in a statement that the tanker was located in international waters about 28 nautical miles (52 km) off shore and supplying another ship with fuel when the device was discovered on Thursday afternoon, according to Reuters.
It was not immediately clear how the mine became attached to the tanker, which was being rented by an unidentified client from State Oil Marketer SOMO, the military said.
The Iraqi military further said the government explosives team was still working to make the vessel safe.
Two security sources said Iraq’s navy had secured the area and the ship had been isolated from other vessels, Reuters reported.
AP cited maritime security firms as saying on Thursday that a suspicious object has been found on the hull of an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iraq.
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.
*This story was updated at 07:12 p.m. EBL time
