Suspected Iranian Drone Targets Israeli-Owned Ship in Indian Ocean

 A suspected Iranian drone hit Friday an Israeli-owned container ship in the Indian Ocean, an American defense official said on Saturday. The attack comes as threats to global shipping increase as a result of the Gaza-Israel conflict, which risks plunging the region into a wider regional conflict.

The American defense official told The Associated Press that the Malta-flagged vessel, which is owned by Idan Ofer, an Israeli billionaire, was suspected to have been hit by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone when it was sailing in international waters.

According to the official, the drone detonated, causing damage to the vessel, but its crew members were unharmed. He did not explain why the US military believed Iran was the mastermind of the attack. Iranian officials have not commented so far.

Tehran has shipped Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. Such kinds of drones carry a small warhead that explodes on impact, according to reports.

Data from MarineTraffic.com showed that the ship's Automatic Identification System tracker had been switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubai's Jebel Ali port. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but this system can be turned off if the crew fears being targeted. 

Last week, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen seized an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and directed it to the port of Al-Hudaydah, which is under their control. They vowed to continue targeting Israeli ships and Israeli shipping companies. Israel called the Houthi seizure of the ship " an Iranian act of terrorism".