Iranian Navy attacks Singapore vessel from Bahrain

Manama

A Singapore-flagged oil tanker came under attack from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Forces in international waters, soon after it left a port in Bahrain.

Vessels from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came to the aid of Alpine Eternity, an oil tanker which found itself in trouble  as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz after leaving Hidd port in Bahrain. Reportedly, the ship was stopped by five Iranian Navy patrol crafts and was ordered to be followed to Iranian waters.  After they refused to do as directed, the Iranians opened fire. “The Iranian patrol craft initially fired warning shots across the tanker’s bow, but then fired directly at the MT Alpine Eternity in an attempt to disable it,” officials said. The incident may have its roots back in a collision in March when the tanker collided with an Iranian oil platform in the Persian Gulf” an International media reported. 

“The Alpine Eternity then headed towards the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates with the Iranian patrol craft giving chase. The Iranian vessels broke contact with the ship after it entered UAE territorial waters, but not before the Iranian craft had themselves entered those waters, officials said. The UAE Coast Guard responded to the scene after a distress call from the Alpine Eternity. The tanker is now off the coast of Dubai and a U.S. official said adding there were no injuries to the ship’s crew.”