Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Iraq Boosts Military Readiness to Guard Waters, Key Ports


(MENAFN) Iraq announced on Saturday that it is raising combat readiness to safeguard its territorial waters and secure key oil and commercial ports amid regional tensions.

The Iraqi Navy stated that its commander, Mazen Abdul Wahid Kabyan, conducted an inspection tour of Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq, including its port protection units. During the tour, he also reviewed two oil tankers that were recently attacked near the port’s breakwater and in the Khor Abdullah Channel in Basra Province.

Earlier this week, Iraqi media reported that two foreign oil tankers were struck within Iraq’s territorial waters near the Port of Basra, resulting in fires on both vessels.

Following the inspections, Kabyan directed a heightened level of combat readiness to protect Iraq’s waterways and ports, describing them as “the artery of the Iraqi economy,” according to reports.

The move comes amid escalating hostilities in the region after coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran on Feb. 28, which have reportedly killed over 1,200 people, including the nation’s then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

In retaliation, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US military installations, according to reports.

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