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| Image Credit: Al-Jazeera |
Guided missile destroyers to ‘maintain deterrent presence’ after Israel-linked vessel hit off Indian coast.
Here are some options Laid in the article:
Geopolitical Aspect:
- An Israel-linked tanker was attacked in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India.
- The US claims Iran launched the attack, while Iran denies involvement.
- India deployed warships to the Arabian Sea following the attack.
- This incident raises concerns about broader risks to maritime shipping amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Technical Aspect:
- The tanker MV Chem Pluto was struck by a possible drone attack on December 23rd.
- The attack caused a fire but no casualties.
- Investigation is ongoing to determine the exact nature and source of the attack.
Humanitarian perspective:
- The attack on the tanker comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
- The Houthis have pledged to target Israeli-linked vessels in solidarity with Gaza.
- These attacks pose a threat to the safety of seafarers and disrupt global trade.
Detail of News:
The Indian Navy has dispatched guided missile destroyers to
the Arabian Sea after an attack on an Israel-linked chemical tanker off its
coast, the Ministry of Defence said.
Deployment and Responses
Three stealth-guided destroyers were deployed “in various
areas of the sea” to “maintain a deterrent presence” considering the “recent
spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea”, the ministry said in a statement late on
Monday. It was also using long-range maritime patrol aircraft for “domain
awareness”, it said.
The United States claimed that the December 23 strike on MV
Chem Pluto in the Indian Ocean was “fired from Iran”, an accusation that Tehran
has dismissed as baseless.
The attack came as a US-led task force sought to counter
similar threats to maritime shipping in the Red Sea posed by Yemen’s
Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
Amid the uptick in maritime strikes, this was the first that
the US has sought to directly pin on Iran. It was also the first on a vessel
outside the Red Sea.
“We can see that militarisation is increasing, not only in
the Red Sea, but also in the Arabian Peninsula,” said Al Jazeera’s Resul Sardar,
reporting from Djibouti.
“These are the regional ramifications of the war on Gaza,” he
reported on Tuesday.
The Indian Navy said it was investigating the nature of the
attack on MV Chem Puto, which “anchored safely” in the financial capital,
Mumbai, on Monday.
An initial assessment “pointed to a drone attack”, the
ministry said. But “further forensic and technical analysis will be required to
establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used”.
The vessel had been “cleared for further operation” by its
company, according to the ministry.
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| Image Source: Al-Jazeera |
Shipping Under Threat
MV Chem Pluto, a Japanese-owned tanker carrying 21 Indians
and one Vietnamese citizen, was hit on Saturday while travelling 200 nautical
miles (370km) off the coast of India, according to the Pentagon. The attack
sparked a fire, which was put out, but caused no casualties.
The Houthis have pledged to target any Israel-linked vessel
in the Red Sea, through which some 12 percent of all global trade passes, in
solidarity with Gaza which has been bombarded by land, sea and air by the
Israeli military.
Sardar said that despite the new US-led task force, there
still hasn’t been an increase in ships trying to pass through the Red Sea,
adding that dozens of cargo ships remain stranded in Djibouti.
Since October, the Houthis have waged attacks on more than a
dozen vessels, pushing some of the world’s largest firms to abandon the route.
The attack in the Indian Ocean, far away from the Red Sea, has raised concerns
about even broader risks to maritime shipping amid the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Washington has accused Tehran of being “deeply involved” in
the Houthi operations.
But Iran insists that it is not coordinating with the Houthis
and plays no role in the attacks.
“The resistance [Houthis] has its own tools … and acts in
accordance with its own decisions and capabilities,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign
Minister Ali Bagheri told the Mehr news agency on Saturday.
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