A Panama-flagged tanker owned by Greek interests, the New Andros, was hit and caught fire within Iraqi territorial waters on September 9th. Authorities in Baghdad have reported that the vessel sustained only minor hull damage, all crew members are safe, and the roughly two million barrels of fuel oil on board have not leaked. The party responsible for the strike has not yet been identified.
The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of September 9th while the New Andros was positioned inside Iraq's maritime borders, carrying a consignment of Iraqi fuel oil. The attack ignited a blaze onboard, which was subsequently extinguished by Iraqi rescue vessels that arrived at the scene. The Iraqi government has stated that the ship came under fire from an unidentified source. Greek sources have indicated that the assault was carried out by an unmanned aerial vehicle, yet no group has claimed responsibility for the act. The specific type of weaponry used and the identity of the aggressor remain subjects of an ongoing investigation.
According to Iraqi officials, the tanker's hull suffered only superficial damage and its cargo tanks did not breach. All personnel aboard, including the Greek captain and chief engineer, are confirmed safe. The vessel had been chartered by an Iraqi enterprise for fuel storage purposes. Vessel records show that the New Andros was constructed in 2005, carries the IMO number 9294252, stretches approximately 333 meters in length, and has a deadweight tonnage exceeding 300,000 tons. The volume of fuel oil onboard, around 318,000 cubic meters, is typical for a vessel of this large size. No loss of cargo or marine pollution has been reported, meaning there has been no confirmed material impact on Iraqi fuel supplies so far. Details regarding the extent of the hull damage, the ship's future seaworthiness, and arrangements for the cargo have not yet been released.
The strike on the New Andros comes amid a deteriorating security climate for commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported a series of overnight attacks on multiple merchant vessels in the region, with some ships left incapacitated due to the assaults. The agency was unable to confirm casualties or environmental consequences for all the incidents at the time. Concurrently, Iranian state media declared that its armed forces targeted several tankers and American naval vessels in retaliation for a U.S. strike on an Iranian tanker. The U.S. military has denied that its ships were hit. Current public information does not link the New Andros to the attacks described by Tehran, preventing a direct attribution of this incident to Iran.
The recurring attacks on ships are amplifying the risks to energy transport in the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz, which facilitated the movement of roughly one-fifth of the world's oil prior to the recent hostilities, is now facing security concerns that have restricted normal transit and escalated the operational challenges for shipowners, charterers, and insurers navigating these waters.
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