IRGC Claims Missile Hit On ‘US-Owned’ Ship In Gulf As Panama-Flagged MSC Sariska V Explodes Near Umm Qasr

Tehran: A Panama-registered container vessel transiting Iraqi waters near Umm Qasr was struck by a powerful blast on Monday, according to reports. The explosion led to an immediate investigation by maritime officials and conflicting explanations over the cause. The Iranian state media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had taken responsibility for a cruise missile attack, though early assessments from security sources on the ground pointed instead to an internal mechanical failure.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident occurred around 40 nautical miles, about 74 km, southeast of Iraq’s Umm Qasr port. In an update, the British monitoring organisation said that the vessel was hit on its starboard side and was followed by a massive explosion. The crew members were unharmed and the ship remained seaworthy enough to continue toward its next destination. The UKMTO added that it had no indication of environmental damage and that local administration had launched a probe into the circumstances.

The vessel was later identified as the MSC Sariska V, a Panama-flagged container ship, with Iraq’s Alsumaria News citing Gulf News reporting that the explosion occurred within Iraqi territorial waters near buoy number 5, shortly after cargo operations had finished at Umm Qasr. The timing and location drew attention because they coincided with heightened tensions in the Gulf following recent exchanges between Iranian and US-aligned forces near Oman.

IRGC Claims Retaliatory Missile Attack

The Iranian media outlets reported that the IRGC had claimed responsibility for the strike, calling the MSC Sariska V ‘US-owned’ and stating that a cruise missile was used. The IRGC framed the operation as direct retaliation for a previous offensive against an Iranian vessel off the coast of Oman. The assertion raised alarm about a possible escalation in the Arabian Gulf, a route through which millions of barrels of oil pass daily.

However, the IRGC’s version was met with scepticism from initial investigating teams. A security source quoted by Alsumaria said that preliminary findings showed no evidence that the ship had been deliberately targeted by external objects. Instead, early assessments leaned toward an internal malfunction as the cause of the blast. The source stressed that the damage appeared confined to the ship’s structure and that there were no casualties among the crew.

Conflicting Accounts Amid Probe

The UKMTO, which monitors shipping threats across the region, has not confirmed the identity of the vessel in its first alert, focusing instead on the factual details of the incident. It reported the explosion, the location southeast of Umm Qasr, and the crew’s safety, while noting that the cause remained under review. The organisation also confirmed that it had no information suggesting pollution or environmental harm had resulted.

Meanwhile, the difference between the Iranian claim of a missile attack and the on-site suggestion of mechanical failure has left the incident shrouded in uncertainty. Though the MSC Sariska V was able to proceed under its own power and all crew accounted for, attention has turned to the formal investigation now underway by the Iraqi authorities and maritime safety agencies. 

Further clarity regarding the different claims is awaited.