An Iranian-flagged oil tanker was hit this Tuesday by a missile attack near the island of Jark, one of the main oil areas of Iran, in a context of strong tension with the United States and after the latest exchanges of attacks in the region.
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim and state television IRIB, the "small" vessel dedicated to transporting crude was struck by projectiles allegedly launched by the U.S. military —which has not yet issued any official reaction— while sailing about four miles, "just over six kilometers" from the mentioned island.
The attack did not cause any fatalities and, once the impact was recorded, all crew members were evacuated. Iranian authorities have begun efforts to determine precisely the extent of the damage suffered by the vessel.
In parallel, the Iranian Navy has issued a serious warning and threatened to respond by attacking vessels in the waters of Kuwait and Bahrain, countries allied with the United States, as retaliation for "the atrocities" of Washington in the Persian Gulf.
"We warn all crews of oil tankers that are near the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain (...) to abandon their vessels immediately, whether they are anchored or docked at the piers, as they will be targets of attacks," the Iranian Navy stated in a statement released by official media.