The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based information center documenting human rights violations in Syria, shared news that a major explosion took place on a commercial ship at Syria’s Latakia port on Tuesday afternoon.
Local sources reported that two people were injured. Fires caused by the explosion have been brought under control by firefighters.
Some reports claim that the ship had been used to transfer Iranian oil to Syria in the past. The cause of the blast is not known.
Maritime tension escalated in the region on July 29 when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) struck a ship operated by an Israeli-owned company in the Gulf of Oman. Two sailors of British and Romanian nationality died in the attack.
On August 3, a ship in the Gulf of Oman was boarded and seized by armed men that attempted to hijack the tanker. Both incidents raised suspicion of Iranian forces’ activity in the region.
The G7 countries blamed Iran for the July attack and called for “all parties to play a constructive role in fostering regional stability and peace.” On Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) released evidence that the drones used in the attack were Iranian-made.
Iran has been denying any involvement and responsibility. The Iranian foreign ministry warned against any effort to “create a false atmosphere” against Tehran. Furthermore, Israel and the US were claimed to be attempting to destabilize the region.
