According to reports from Al-Hadath and Reuters, the Bahamas-flagged tanker Sonangol Namibe was targeted early Thursday morning while waiting near Iraq’s Khor al-Zubair port.
The vessel was approached at approximately 01:20 local time by an unidentified small craft. Iraqi port security sources provided an initial assessment indicating that the small boat was a remote-controlled "suicide" vessel packed with explosives.
A loud explosion was reported on the tanker's port side.
The ship’s operator, Sonangol Marine Services, confirmed a hull breach in a port ballast tank. Despite taking on water, the ship remains stable and is not currently in danger of sinking.
Fortunately, the tanker was not carrying cargo at the time of the blast, preventing a significant environmental disaster in the northern Gulf.
Why This Matters: Breaking the "Iraqi Safe Zone"
Until today, the northern reaches of the Persian Gulf, specifically Iraqi territorial waters. were considered a relatively safe haven compared to the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
- Direct Challenge to Baghdad: This attack occurred within Iraq's sovereign economic zone, pressuring the Iraqi government to take a firmer stance against the Iranian-backed proxies suspected of launching such drone boats.
- Energy Logistics: The ship was scheduled to load 80,000 metric tons of Iraqi fuel. By hitting ships at the source of production, the attackers are signaling that no part of the energy supply chain is off-limits.
- Hezbollah/IRGC Connection: The IRGC claimed responsibility for hitting a "U.S. tanker" in the northern Gulf earlier today. While the Sonangol Namibe is Bahamian-flagged, the claim suggests the IRGC or its proxies are actively seeking targets in this new sector.
