Iraqi explosives experts are working to disarm a mine attached to a Liberian-flagged oil tanker anchored off the Iraqi port of Basra, the Associated Press reports.
The explosive is a limpet-style mine, one that must be attached to the ship by a diver and timed to go off at a later time. It was discovered on the tanker MT Pola as the ship was refueling another ship in the harbor.
The discovery of the mine comes as the United States is raising tensions in the region by provoking Iran. The Trump Administration conducted B-52 bomber flyovers in the region and ordered a nuclear submarine to sail into the Persian Gulf.
Trump administration officials say that they are increasing visibility in the region to dissuade Iranian officials from using violence to mark the one year anniversary of the US assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was visiting Iraq when a missile from a US drone struck his vehicle.