Iraq briefly suspends crude oil loading operations after a drone hits an oil tanker at the Basra terminal, according to multiple sources cited by Reuters and repeated by outlets covering the event. The drone incident does not cause any reported damage or fire. Iraqi oil and security sources say the suspension is temporary: loading is halted across oil-loading terminals, then operations resume after the incident is assessed.
The sources indicate it is not immediately clear who launched the drone. The reports describe the event as affecting loading activity at Iraq’s terminals rather than causing broader disruption to the tanker or surrounding infrastructure. While one outlet notes loading is suspended and then resumes, another states that crude oil flows are suspended at all of Iraq’s oil-loading terminals following the incident. None of the accounts report injuries or damage resulting from the drone hit.
