Iran denies US claim it targeted tanker near India

Iran denied on December 25 a US claim that a drone launched from Iran had struck a chemical tanker in the Indian ocean.

The Pentagon said at the weekend that the Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned and Netherlands-operated Chem Pluto ship was hit 200 nautical miles off the coast of India, according to Reuters.

"These repetitive accusations are rejected as baseless," Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said at a briefing, adding that the US instead should face accusations for its role in Israel's war in Gaza.

The Iranian navy has taken delivery of cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) as well as reconnaissance helicopters, state media reported, amid growing attacks on shipping lanes in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza.