According to port security officials in Iraq, a small remote controlled boat loaded with explosives targeted the Bahamas flagged crude oil vessel Sonangol Namibe. The vessel was anchored in Iraqi waters when the incident occurred.

Sources said the explosive boat moved close to the ship and then detonated after hitting it. The blast damaged part of the vessel and shocked crew members on board.

Security officials described the incident as the first known attack inside Iraq’s exclusive economic zone. They warned that it signals a new and serious threat to commercial shipping routes in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later said that they had targeted a US vessel in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. According to their statement, the ship caught fire after the strike.

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Reports said the vessel was approached by a small boat near the port area of Khor Al Zubair. Shortly afterward, crew members heard a loud explosion.

Company officials said the blast damaged the ship’s hull and caused water to enter one of its ballast tanks, which are used to maintain balance and stability in large ships.

There were no immediate reports of oil pollution and the vessel was not carrying cargo at the time of the attack. This reduced fears that a major oil spill could occur in the area.

Earlier, a UK naval monitoring group had reported traces of oil in nearby waters, raising initial concerns about possible environmental damage.

Iranian state media IRIB News reported that the vessel was struck by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy early in the morning but did not confirm the name of the ship.

The incident is considered one of the northernmost attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf since the United States and Israel began airstrikes on Iran. It follows other recent attacks on commercial vessels, including a strike on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.