Iran’s First Drone Boat Attack Hits Oil Tanker

A tanker that flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands became the first ship struck by an Iranian unmanned boat during this conflict. The incident happened near Muscat, Oman, on March 1. At first, people thought a missile had hit the vessel. Later, UK maritime authorities confirmed that an unmanned surface vehicle – a type of drone boat – was responsible. The crew had to leave the ship and go ashore for safety. Iran has been building these drone boats for years. They can carry explosives and crash into targets like a kamikaze attack. The country also works with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have used similar weapons against ships in the Red Sea. The war in Ukraine shows how dangerous these unmanned boats are, even for aircraft and coastal defenses. The tanker was not the only victim. At least four ships have been hit by Iran since the Revolutionary Guard warned that it would close the Strait of Hormuz.That warning came after U. S. and Israeli forces began bombing Iranian targets on February 28. The Guard’s message said that any ship passing through would be set on fire. Another tanker, this one flying the U. S. flag, also suffered two hits while docked in Bahrain. The exact weapon used is unclear – it could have been a missile or a drone. The U. S. military had already chased Iranian boats and a drone that tried to board the tanker earlier in the year. A U. S. destroyer and air support kept the situation from escalating. Since the start of a joint U. S. –Israeli operation called Epic Fury, traffic through the Strait has dropped by almost 85 %. Many ships have turned off their tracking devices to stay hidden. The U. S. says it has already knocked out ten Iranian naval vessels, while Iran claims the strait is closed. The true status of that claim remains uncertain.