Editorial
Iran conducted a drone attack on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India, the US Department of Defense announced. The chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto, flying the Liberian flag, was targeted by an attack drone from Iran at approximately 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT), as reported by the Pentagon. The attack caused a fire, which was subsequently put out without causing any casualties or injuries. At the time of the attack, no US Navy ships were nearby. The tanker then continued its journey towards India.
According to testimonies provided by both India and the United States, the accident occurred approximately 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. The Indian Ministry of Defense specified that the ship was carrying crude oil and was en route from Saudi Arabia to the city of Mangaluru, located in southern India.
From words Iran would have moved on to deeds. Yesterday the threat launched by the general Reza Naqdi, coordinator of the Guardians of the Revolution: “..If the United States and its allies continue to commit crimes in Gaza, one can expect the imminent closure of the Mediterranean, the Strait of Gibraltar and other shipping lanes.”
Threats to shipping now extend beyond the Red Sea, encompassing a vast region from Gibraltar to the Indian Ocean. The alert zone at sea extends beyond the Red Sea, involving not only the Lebanese Houti rebel group but also other pro-Iranian groups present in the Middle East. Iran would thus like to wage a proxy war against Israel and the West.
Analysts and international observers are wondering how the Iranian Pasdaran can make the waters of the Mediterranean warm. General Naqdi directly clarified the doubt by mentioning the birth of new resistance forces and the blockade of other sea routes, indicating possible involvement in the Mediterranean.
A worrying sign emerged when a pro-Iranian group in Iraq claimed responsibility for launching a drone against a vital target in the Mediterranean, presumably the Israeli platforms extracting gas from the Karish field on the Lebanese border. Concerns are increasing as Tehran appears to want to increase pressure on the West, using Shiite militias around the world.
The revelations about Iranian spy ship Behshad, confirmed by US intelligence sources and the Wall Street Journal, indicate that the merchant ship has been anchored for months north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, providing information for the Houthi missile incursions that have paralyzed civilian traffic in the Red Sea and blocked crossing the Suez Canal.
The spokeswoman for the US National Security Council said Iran was deeply involved in planning operations against merchant shipping in the Red Sea, stressing that without continued Iranian support, the Houthis would have difficulty identifying and effectively targeting commercial vessels. Currently, oil tankers and container ships are stopped or proceeding towards the Mediterranean circumnavigating Africa, as the Yemeni militia holds a tenth of world trade hostage.
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