Iran Attack Sets Greek Tanker Ablaze

Iranian gunboats attacked a Greek tanker bound for Saudi Arabia twice in seven hours Tuesday, setting it ablaze the second time with a shell or missile to the crew’s quarters, maritime salvage executives said.

The 28-member crew of the 102,088-ton Ariadne took to life rafts and was later picked up by Persian Gulf salvage tugboats, said the salvage executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The fire was brought under control after about two hours, but the Ariadne was listing heavily after taking on water through a hole in its hull, the executives said.

In the first attack, off the coast of Oman near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, two gunboats raked the Ariadne with machine-gun fire, causing only minor damage and no casualties, the executives said.

The second assault came after the Ariadne had gone through the strait, the gateway to the gulf.

The Ariadne was destined for Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura terminal to load oil.

Also Tuesday, one or more Iranian frigates intercepted other ships in the gulf and demanded by radio the identity, cargo and destination of the vessels, the sources said.

The Iranians, looking for Iraqi-bound cargo, regularly intercept ships. They are also believed to use the interceptions to select likely targets for later attack.