ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - No vessel was targeted in Iraq’s territorial waters, the state-run ports authority in Baghdad confirmed Thursday, despite earlier reports that a Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker had been hit by a blast while anchored near a port in the southernmost Basra province.
The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI), operating under the federal transport ministry, said in a statement that “reports of any vessel or maritime craft, whether commercial or an oil tanker, being involved in any incident at our commercial or oil ports, navigation channels, or within Iraq’s territorial waters are false.”
The GCPI added that “maritime traffic is proceeding normally and safely, in accordance with approved operational plans and under continuous monitoring by the relevant authorities,” noting that “specialized teams have been formed to oversee the safety and security of ships in territorial waters and navigation channels.”
The company noted the “full coordination with the command of the Iraqi Naval Force to intervene in the event of any emergency,” urging “media outlets to rely on official statements issued by the company and not to be swayed by rumors or inaccurate news.”
Similarly, Farhan Al-Fartousi, Director General of the GCPI, told state-run Iraqiya TV on Thursday that the company, which operates in line with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, “is regulating security according to international standards to ensure the safety of vessels in ports and anchorage areas."
Fartousi added that their "ports send a message of reassurance to the world that they operate efficiently.”
The remarks come against the backdrop of media reports that circulated earlier in the day, relaying that the Bahamas flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe's hull might have been breached after being hit by a blast while anchored near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, according the Reuters.
Citing a US representative company, Sonangol Marine Services, the outlet added that the vessel was reportedly approached by an unknown small vessel and “a short time later a loud bang was heard,” noting that “the crew reports that a port ballast tank is losing water which suggests some form of hull breach but the ship remains stable and safely afloat."
The tanker, which had a contract with the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), was not carrying cargo when it was hit, hence there reports of pollution, Sonangol Marine Services elaborated.
Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a massive joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran, on Saturday, the Gulf area has descended into maritime warfare.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed responsibility for a missile strike on an American oil tanker near Kuwaiti waters, framing it as retaliation for the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters the previous day. It further warned that any military or commercial vessel belonging to the US or its supporters would be targeted if they attempted to navigate the waterway.
Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial traffic after Tehran declared it a restricted war zone, with the IRGC warning it would “set ablaze” any ship attempting passage.
The de facto blockade has forced over 150 tankers to anchor outside the key chokepoint, and major maritime insurers have withdrawn war risk coverage, prompting shipping giants like Maersk and MSC to suspend all transits indefinitely.