Iran denies US claim it targeted tanker near India

Dubai, December 25

Iran denied on Monday a U.S. claim that a drone launched from Iran had struck a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean.

The Pentagon said on the weekend that the Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned and Netherlands-operated Chem Pluto ship was hit 200 nautical miles off the coast of India.

“These repetitive accusations are rejected as baseless,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said at a briefing, adding that the U.S. instead should face accusations for its role in Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Iranian navy has taken delivery of cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) as well as reconnaissance helicopters, state media reported on Sunday, amid growing attacks on shipping lanes in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza.