Baghdad, Iraq-Iraq has suspended operations at its oil ports following attacks on two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, which killed one crew member and sparked massive fires, officials said. The tankers, Safesea Vishnu (Marshall Islands-flagged) and Zefyros (Malta-flagged), had loaded fuel in Iraq before being struck late on March 11,2026. Iraq’s state-run General Company for Ports said the shutdown was a precautionary measure while assessing the damage and ensuring the safety of remaining vessels. Footage of the oil tanker reportedly hit near Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port, Iraq’s main gateway for trade.

Baghdad, Iraq-Iraq has suspended operations at its oil ports following attacks on two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, which killed one crew member and sparked massive fires, officials said.

The tankers, Safesea Vishnu (Marshall Islands-flagged) and Zefyros (Malta-flagged), had loaded fuel in Iraq before being struck late on March 11,2026. Iraq’s state-run General Company for Ports said the shutdown was a precautionary measure while assessing the damage and ensuring the safety of remaining vessels.

Footage of the oil tanker reportedly hit near Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port, Iraq’s main gateway for trade.

Farhan Muhssin al-Fartousi, director general of the Iraqi Ports Company, said Iraqi rescue teams recovered 25 crew members, while one foreign crew member’s body was recovered from the water. An Indian crew member aboard the Safesea Vishnu was confirmed dead by India’s embassy in Baghdad, which said the remaining 15 Indian sailors had been evacuated safely.

Farhan Muhssin al-Fartousi, director general of the Iraqi Ports Company. (ALI AL-AQILY/Iraq Oil Report)

Officials described the attacks as sabotage in Iraq’s territorial waters, a violation of sovereignty, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Abdelwahed.

Reports cited by Reuters suggest the vessels were struck by explosive-laden boats, similar in design to unmanned surface vessels previously deployed in Ukraine, though the source noted this as an operational similarity rather than a direct link.

The incidents coincide with escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has laid mines and warned that ships transiting the waterway could be targeted. US Central Command said it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels in preemptive strikes after Iranian forces attempted minelaying and attacked vessels.

Additional attacks in Gulf waters included the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, hit by two projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Twenty crew members were rescued, while three remain missing, believed trapped in the engine room. Other vessels, including the Japan-flagged ONE Majesty and Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, sustained minor hull damage; all crews were safe.

This image released by the Royal Thai Navy shows Thai cargo ship, Mayuree Naree, that was struck and set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz. (Image: Royal Thai Navy via AP)

The port shutdown affects a critical link in global energy supply amid the broader regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

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