Maputo, July 26, 2026 (Lusa) - The Mozambican maritime authorities said on Sunday that the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker attacked in Iranian territorial waters is currently unregistered and lacks authorisation to fly the national flag, and they have pledged to investigate to identify those responsible for the incident.

«We wish to clarify that the vessel in question is not listed in the National Register of Ships of the Republic of Mozambique, does not hold authorisation to fly the Mozambican flag, and is not registered under the national maritime legal framework. Consequently, all available evidence points to the illegal and fraudulent use of the flag of the Republic of Mozambique, which constitutes a serious violation of international maritime law,» stated the Institute of Maritime Transport (Itransmar) in a press release.

The incident involves a Mozambican-flagged gas tanker that was struck by attackers on Friday in Iranian territorial waters. The 28 Indian crew members who were on board are safe, according to the Indian Embassy in Tehran.

In a briefing note to which the Lusa news agency had access, the Indian diplomatic mission stated that the vessel «DISHA» (IMO 8818219) «was the target of an attack in Iranian territorial waters» on Friday.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Mozambican maritime transport regulatory authority highlighted the «abusive or fraudulent» use of the Mozambican flag, as well as practices likely to compromise maritime safety, the integrity of international ship registration systems, trust between states and the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation and pledged to investigate the case.

«In this context, we are currently gathering information from the relevant international organisations and the authorities of the states involved, with a view to fully clarifying the facts and identifying those responsible for the misuse of the national flag,» the institute stated.

The institution also said that it would continue to cooperate with the international community in promoting maritime safety, protecting human life at sea and upholding international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international instruments applicable to maritime transport.

The «DISHA» is an LPG tanker built in 1990, 230 metres long, with a capacity to carry around 50,000 tonnes of cargo. It is used to transport LPG, a fuel widely used in domestic kitchens, industry and energy production.

As reported by Lusa, the Indian diplomatic mission is yet to share details regarding the circumstances of the attack, the nature of the damage sustained by the vessel, or the presence of any other crew members of different nationalities on board.

Information regarding the perpetrators of the attack and the exact location of the incident is still pending.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Friday for the withdrawal of around 6,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, at a time when several vessels are blocked in the area due to the conflict between the United States and Iran.

The escalation of attacks between the United States and Iran in recent weeks has led to the collapse of the memorandum of understanding they had negotiated in June, under the mediation of Pakistan.

US Central Command stated that the most recent air strikes on various regions of Iran were designed to «further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial vessels transiting regional waters».

The US authorities wish to encourage the regime in Tehran to restore free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas used to pass in peacetime.

In response to the most recent US attacks, Tehran has been targeting US allies in the region, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

PME/ADB // ADB.

Lusa