Iranian Drone Attacked On Japanese Tanker Near Indian Coast

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defense Department, has confirmed 'Iran fired drone' on the Japanese tanker 'MV Chem Pluto' near the Indian coast on 24 December 2023. The Pentagon has officially accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack on a Japanese chemical tanker off the Indian coast.

• The rebels claim to be acting in sympathy with Gaza. But no one has yet taken responsibility for the attack in the Indian Ocean.
• The incident took place on 24 December, 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast. Despite the attack on the ship, there were no injuries. According to the Pentagon, the drone was launched from Iran.
• The ship named 'MV Chem Pluto' had the flag of Liberia. It was operated by a Dutch organisation. It is owned by a Japanese company. The ship is also Israeli-allied. In which the Dutch business running the ship is also associated with Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
• Another Israeli-owned cargo ship was attacked in the Indian Ocean last month in a drone strike suspected by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• The recent attack on the MV Chem Pluto is the latest in a series of drone and missile attacks on the Red Sea sea route by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. This attack is linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
• This attack is being carried out from 7 October  2023 due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Yemen's Houthi rebels are determined to damage any ship allied to Israel.

Indian action:

• The Indian Navy immediately responded to the call for assistance by sending an aircraft to ensure the safety of the ship and crew. An Indian naval warship has also been sent to assist as required.
• Iran denies US accusation of targeting a chemical tanker headed for India in the Arabian Sea.

About Ship Chem Pluto:

• The vessel in question, the Chem Pluto, is a chemical tanker owned by Japan, flying the Liberian flag, and operated by a company based in the Netherlands.
• The ship caught fire due to a drone attack in the southwest area, 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) from Veraval in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat.
• Chem Pluto was coming towards Mangalore from a port in Saudi Arabia. Of the 22 crew members, 21 were Indians. All the crew members are safe.