Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Iran today, Monday (25/12/23) denied the US claim that a drone launched from Iran had hit a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean.

“These repeated accusations are rejected as baseless,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a briefing reported by Reuters, Monday (25/12/23)

He believes that the US should face accusations of its role in Israel's war in Gaza.

State media on Sunday (24/12/23) reported that the Iranian Navy had taken delivery of cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) as well as surveillance helicopters. This is in line with the increase in attacks on shipping lanes after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Palestine since October 7 2023. i Previously, the Pentagon claimed that a chemical tanker operating in the Indian Ocean was hit by an Iranian drone on Saturday, December 23 2023.

A US Defense Department official said this was the seventh Iranian attack on a commercial ship since 2021.

“The motor ship CHEM PLUTO, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned, Dutch-operated chemical tanker was hit at around 10am local time (6am Greenwich time) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the Indian coast, by a one-way drone strike which was fired from Iran,” the official said in his statement, reported by CNN International, Sunday (24/12/2023).

The drone is a weapon designed to impact its target, not return to its origin.

“There were no casualties, and the fire on the tanker was extinguished. There were no US Navy ships nearby,” the defense official said.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(hoy/hoy)