An oil tanker is on fire in the sea of Oman, Thursday, June 13, 2019. Two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz were reportedly attacked on Thursday, an assault that left one ablaze and adrift as sailors were evacuated from both vessels and the U.S. Navy rushed to assist amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. (AP Photo/ISNA)

Panama-Flagged Tanker Catches Fire Near Iranian Coast

On Aug 10, 2023

A Panama-flagged tanker called White Pearl has caught fire near Assaluyeh on Iran’s Gulf coast.

“Twenty-two of the ship’s crew have been rescued by Iranian rescue teams after the ship’s captain requested assistance from the port authorities,” local ports official as said.

The official said that the tanker, carrying 40,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, had experienced “a problem in the engine room due to a fire.”

Panama’s vessel registry, the world’s largest, has withdrawn its flag from 136 ships linked to Iran’s state oil company in the last four years, the country’s maritime authority said in January.

REUTERS/Christophher Ojilere