The attack that killed two people aboard an Israeli-operated vessel off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea on Thursday, is believed to have been a drone strike, US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which operates in the region, has claimed.
American explosives experts, who have examined the Mercer Street product tanker, have discovered “clear visual evidence that an attack had occurred” on the ship, the Fifth Fleet said, in a statement on Saturday.
“Initial indications clearly point to a (drone)-style attack,” it stated, without elaborating on how such a conclusion was reached.
A fascinating aspect of the "Israeli linked" ship being struck off Oman, is that the owner of Zodiac Maritime is Eyal Offer, a former intelligence officer in the Israeli Navy and perhaps more importantly the son and heir of Sammy Ofer.
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) July 31, 2021
Two US warships – nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher – have been escorting the merchant vessel to a nearby port, it added.
The statement by the US Navy has echoed earlier media reports, which cited an unnamed US official, who blamed the attack on a “suicide drone.”
Israeli officials later told the New York Times that several drones had targeted the tanker, crashing into its living quarters, located beneath the vessel’s command center.
Israel presses for international action against Iran over a deadly attack on a ship managed by an Israeli billionaire https://t.co/4RJHkrtXen
— TRT World (@trtworld) July 31, 2021
The Liberian-flagged tanker Mercer Street, operated by the London-based Zodiac Maritime company of Israeli billionaire, Eyal Ofer, was hit late on Thursday northeast of the Omani island of Masirah, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of the country’s capital, Muscat.
Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid has accused Iran of striking Mercer Street and urged the international community to ‘act’ against Tehran. “The world must not be silent in the face of Iranian terrorism that also harms freedom of shipping,” Lapid said in a statement.
#Israel Blames #Iran for Alleged Attack on Israeli-Operated Tanker near #Oman https://t.co/uEmDsmmQB6 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/9Isr1tzUU6
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 30, 2021
Iranian authorities haven’t officially commented on the incident in the Arabian Sea. However, state run al-Alam broadcaster has cited “sources in the resistance axis,” who claimed that the ship had been targeted in response to recent Israeli airstrikes against Syria.
Explosions and fires aboard Israeli and Iranian-owned vessels have been frequent in the waters around the Gulf since the start of the year. Israel has also repeatedly targeted Iranian positions in Syria in recent years, resulting in many casualties and widespread destruction.
(PC, RT, Social Media)
