At least one person has died after two oil tankers caught fire in the Persian Gulf after what is believed to be an Iranian attack on the two vessels. The explosions that took place on Wednesday, 11th March, have sparked new fears about the security of the region at a time when there is already tension arising from the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
JUST IN: Massive fire breaks out on oil tanker in Persian Gulf following reported attack. pic.twitter.com/Ozx7LBKmJu
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 11, 2026
The incident happened within Iraq’s territorial waters at the al Faw port, located near the southern city of Basra.
According to a report by Reuters, initial findings from an Iraqi investigation into the incident indicate that it could have been caused by boats that carried explosives and attacked the two ships. The boats are believed to have been operated by Iran.
According to an Iraqi port official, two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil were attacked within the territorial waters of Iraq within the last hour, causing both to catch fire in the Persian Gulf. A total of 25 crewmembers onboard the vessels have been evacuated so far by… pic.twitter.com/xBCHI09Txs
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 11, 2026
Crew rescued after explosions
The explosions caused massive fires that damaged the two ships. The two ships are believed to have been carrying a huge amount of crude oil. According to TankerTrackers.com, the ships could have been carrying close to 400,000 barrels of Iraqi oil at the time of the explosion.
According to media reports, the director general of the Iraqi Ports Company, Farhan al Fartousi, said that 38 foreign crew members were on board the vessels when the explosions occurred. Emergency teams managed to rescue all of them from the damaged ships.
Footage circulating on the internet showed massive flames erupting from the two vessels and spreading to the surrounding water. This suggests that some oil may have leaked from the vessels after the blast.
Tankers anchored near Iraqi port
The two vessels identified to have been attacked in the incident are the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu. According to reports, the vessels were anchored near each other at the time of the attack.
The Safesea Vishnu is owned by Safesea Transport Inc., a company based in the United States, while a Greek company owns the Zefyros. However, Safesea Transport Inc. had yet to comment on the incident at the time.
The incident comes at a time when global energy markets are already under pressure because of the ongoing tensions involving Iran. Oil prices have risen sharply this week as fears grow about possible disruptions to global supply.
The region around Iran plays a critical role in the world’s oil trade. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route located about 600 miles south of where the tanker explosions were reported.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has also announced that its 31 member countries plan to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves to deal with possible supply shortages.
