‘Drone attack’ leaves Iranian tanker ablaze off Syrian coast – reports
24 Apr, 2021
A suspected drone attack left an oil tanker ablaze off the coast of Syria, the country’s state media said. The tanker was reportedly of Iranian origin.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which threatened one of the vessel’s tanks, the Syrian Arab news agency reported on Saturday.
Syria’s oil ministry had originally reported the tanker fire, with officials telling state-run media that the ship had been attacked by a drone that came from Lebanese waters.
The tanker was of Iranian origin, according to a report by the Tehran-operated Al-Alam TV. It was reportedly one of three Iranian vessels to have arrived recently at the Baniyas oil terminal, an important oil transit location on the Syrian coast.
Two projectiles hit the tanker, the Al-Alam report added, citing “informed sources.”
Continue reading at www.rt.com
Three Killed in Attack on Iranian Tanker Off Syria’s Coast
Apr. 24, 2021
On Saturday, an Iranian fuel tanker was attacked off the coast of Syria, the first such attack in years. Three Iranians, including two crew members, were reported slain.
Details are still emerging, but suspicion immediately shot to Israel, who attacks Iranian targets in and around Syria all the time. A previous report had suggested that the Israelis had targeted a few vessels carrying Iranian fuel in the past.
This fuel tanker was close to port, and it is believed to have been attacked by a drone or a missile fired from Lebanese airspace. This again points to an Israeli attack, as Israel tends to use Lebanese airspace with impunity.
Before the war, Syria was self-sufficient on oil and fuel, but production and transport has struggled, and now they are heavily reliant on imports to run the economy. With the US trying to keep Syria from buying anything, and trying to keep Iran from selling anything, it’s only natural this would be a key trading partner for them.
Continue reading at news.antiwar.com
