At least one crew member was killed Thursday when an apparent Iranian attack set two oil tankers ablaze in Iraqi waters, escalating a campaign aimed at disrupting Middle East energy supplies after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Farhan al-Fartousi, from Iraq's General Company for Ports, told state television that one crew member had been killed and 38 rescued while the "search continues for the missing."
Images, verified by Reuters as having been filmed from the shore of the port of Basra, showed the ships engulfed in massive orange fireballs that lit up the night sky. The attack occurred roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the coast.
Iraqi authorities said the vessels had been attacked overnight by Iranian boats laden with explosives. At least one crew member was killed.
Hours earlier, three other ships had been struck in the Gulf. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for at least one of those attacks, on a Thai bulk carrier that was set ablaze, which the Guards said had disobeyed their orders.
