An Iranian warship was accidentally "hit by a missile" during a naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman, leaving 19 people dead and at least 15 injured, Iranian state television reported on Monday (May 11th).
This accident occurred in the context of strong tensions with the United States in the waters of the Gulf. "The Konarak ship was hit by a missile yesterday afternoon (Sunday) during a military exercise in the waters of Bandar-e Jask," a port in southern Iran, Iranian television reported. According to her, the logistics support vessel was hit "after moving an exercise target to its destination, without creating enough distance between it and the target".
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Initiation of an investigation
The Iranian military confirmed the deaths of 19 sailors while 15 others were injured, saying in a statement that an investigation had been opened into the cause of the accident. For its part, the Tasnim news agency indicated in a tweet in English that Konarak had sunk. " Konarak was " sunk by friendly fire " after the Moudge-class frigate Jamaran accidentally hit it with a missile during a live fire exercise in the Jask region in the waters of #PersianGulf on May 10" Tasnim wrote. Tasnim, however, did not mention this detail on his page in Persian.
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Made in the Netherlands, Konarak was bought by Iran before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Weighing 447 tonnes and a length of 47 meters, the ship is equipped with four cruise missiles installed on board, according to the State television which did not specify the number of crews on board at the time of the accident.
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Tensions between Tehran and Washington, enemies of more than 40 years, have remained high since the United States unilaterally denounced in 2018 the Iranian international nuclear agreement (concluded in 2015) before reimposing heavy economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
In January, Iran shot down a Ukrainian Boeing to Kiev “by mistake” shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing the 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Canadians. Armed forces recognized the tragedy, saying it happened while Iran's air defenses were on high alert after the Islamic Republic fired missiles at an American base in Iraq to avenge the powerful general Iranian Qassem Soleimani, killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad on January 3.
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