Iran Missile Strikes Own Vessel Killing One And Wounding 15

An Iranian warship was accidentally hit by a missile fired during naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, killing one sailor and wounding 15 others, state television said on May 11.

The friendly-fire incident, which comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, occurred on May 10 near Jask, a port some 1,270 kilometers southeast of Tehran, in the Gulf of Oman, it said.

State television described the missile strike as an accident, saying the vessel that was hit, the Konarak support ship, had remained too close to the target. The Konarak had been putting targets out in the water for other ships to fire upon, it said.

Twelve sailors were admitted to a local hospital while three others were treated for superficial wounds, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which monitors the region, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Dutch-made, 47-meter Konarak has been in service since 1988. It usually carries a crew of 20 sailors.

Iran regularly holds exercises in the region, which is close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

The incident comes amid months of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa