Maritime security companies said a suspicious object—possibly a type of mine—was discovered on an oil tanker off the coast of Iraq. According to Dryad Global, one of the firms, crew members on the Liberian-flagged MT Pola “identified the presence of a suspicious object attached to the [MT Pola’s] hull whilst conducting StS 6nm South Al Bakr Terminal offshore Iraq” in the Persian Gulf. The firm said, “Further reporting indicates that the object is suspected to be a limpet mine. The crew and vessel are understood to be safe at this time.” A limpet mine is a type of naval mine that is attached to a target via magnets. A diver or a swimmer may attach the mine to a vessel; the limpet mines are then typically set off by a time fuse. Dryad said that it’s not clear where the alleged limpet mine was placed, noting that another vessel, the …