Russian Oil Tanker in Mediterranean Fire Amid Rising Global Tensions
A Russian oil tanker caught fire in the Mediterranean after a reported drone attack, according to maritime security sources. The Arctic Metagaz, which is carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is sanctioned by the US and UK, was reportedly hit near Malta on Tuesday. Shocking images and footage show the vessel ablaze, with large flames rising and clouds of smoke billowing into the sky.
A source suggested that the boat may have been attacked by a naval drone, possibly dropped by Ukraine, amid the ongoing war between the two nations. However, no evidence was provided for this claim. The incident occurs as missile attacks continue across the globe, with tensions escalating in the Middle East.
On Saturday morning, the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on US assets and allies across the Gulf region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan.
The conflict even reached Europe over the weekend when a drone struck a British military base in Cyprus. The attack occurred overnight on Sunday at RAF Akrotiri, but there were no casualties and ‘minimal damage’ was reported. Two further drones heading for the base were intercepted on Monday.
The UK has not disclosed where it believes the weapon came from, but the Cypriot government suspects the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. Britain did not join the US-Israeli strikes on Iran but is participating in what the government called ‘defensive operations’ in the Middle East to protect British citizens and allies.
There are no reports of casualties from the fire on the Russian tanker in the Mediterranean. Maltese armed forces confirmed that the crew was found safe in a lifeboat within the search and rescue region of Libya, North Africa. A press release posted on Facebook stated, “Survivors were subsequently located within the Libyan SRR in a lifeboat during the search effort,” adding, “All crew were reported safely onboard the lifeboat.”
The military said it had received a distress message about the vessel and had located it, without providing details about its condition. According to ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform, the tanker last reported its position as sailing off the coast of Malta on Monday. The Russia-based manager LLC SMP Techmanagement, Russian LNG producer Novatek, and Russia’s transport ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Security Service of Ukraine also did not respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, employees at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus received a message warning them of an ‘ongoing security threat’ as sirens were reported in the area. The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) had previously stated that families would be moved to alternative accommodation as a precaution following Sunday’s attack.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had agreed to an American request to use British military bases for ‘defensive’ strikes. However, he emphasized that the sites are not being used by US bombers. “The use of British bases is limited to the agreed defensive purposes – we are not joining the US and Israeli offensive strikes,” he said.
“The basis of our decision is the collective self defence of longstanding friends and allies and protecting British lives. It is in accordance with international law.” Sir Keir added that the strike on the Cypriot RAF base was not in response to any decision by the UK government. He said officials believed the drone was launched before Britain announced it would allow the US to use British bases for ‘defensive’ action.
“We are not joining the strikes but we will continue our defensive actions in the region. France and Germany are also prepared to enable US action – to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones from source. This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
However, US President Donald Trump criticized the British premier for failing to support the American-Israeli strikes. In comments that plunged the so-called ‘special relationship’ into a crisis, Mr. Trump declared he was ‘not happy’ with the PM and accused him of being ‘very, very uncooperative.’ He made the remarks as he spoke about the support from European nations for American action in Iran.
As bombing in the Middle East entered its fourth day, further attacks occurred across the Gulf, including on the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and a US-run naval base in Bahrain.
