Iranian television reported today, Thursday, that a fire has erupted on the tanker "White Pearl," which flies the Panamanian flag, near the coast of the Assalouyeh region in Bushehr Province, southern Iran, noting that all crew members are safe. Iranian authorities rescued 22 crew members after the ship's captain requested assistance. The director of the Assalouyeh ports stated that the tanker, carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with a load of 40,000 tons, faced a problem in the engine room due to the fire.
Panamanian maritime authorities mentioned in January that Panama had withdrawn its flag from 136 vessels linked to the Iranian state oil company over the past four years. Panama is the leading country in the world in terms of the number of ships flying its flag.
