Iran war: Gulf tanker attacked, 1 seaferer killed

Iran is stepping up attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. A Greek-owned tanker believed to have been struck with a missile, and Iran said two other vessels were on fire. An explosion believed to have been caused by a missile attack on ‌an oil ⁠tanker in the Persian Gulf left one seafarer dead, the vessel's operating company said on Friday.

Greek management firm Velos Tankers said the ​Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Velos Sapphire ​was sailing towards Bahrain when it ‌was attacked. "The company is ‌greatly saddened to report the ‌death ​of one of its seafarers, who was found fatally injured on board after having initially been ​reported missing in the aftermath of the explosion," the firm said. The explosion caused a fire to break out in the ship.

The crew were able to extinguish the fire without reporting any other injured. Bahrain's Khalifa Bin Salman Port ultimately took in the ship and now a investigation into the incident will be launched to assess the extent of the damage to the vessel's hull.