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PHOTO: Reuters
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A Briton and a Romanian were killed when a tanker driven by an Israeli company was attacked off the coast of Oman, Reuters reported, citing a company statement about the incident, which the Israeli foreign minister blamed on Iran, BTA reported.
Various explanations have surfaced for what happened to the Liberian-flagged tanker Mercer Street, owned by a Japanese company. The Israeli company Zodiac Maritime, which operates the tanker, described the case as “alleged piracy”.
In recent months, Iran and Israel have blamed each other for attacks on the two countries’ ships, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he had stressed to his British counterpart the need for a firm response to the attack.
“Iran is not just an Israeli problem, but an exporter of terrorism, destruction and instability that harms us all. The world must not remain silent in the face of Iranian terrorism, which also affects the freedom of movement of goods,” he said.
U.S. and European intelligence sources said Iran was the prime suspect in the case, which a U.S. defense official said was allegedly carried out by drone. However, they stressed that their governments are looking for conclusive evidence.
Iran’s Alam TV quoted unnamed sources as saying the attack on the ship was in response to an alleged Israeli attack on Syria’s Dabaa airport. There is no official reaction from Iran to allegations that it is responsible for the attack.
According to an Israeli website, there appear to have been two attacks on the tanker several hours apart. The first did no damage, and the second resulted in casualties.
Asked if the State Department linked the attack to Iran, Deputy Spokeswoman Jalina Porter said the United States was closely monitoring the situation and cooperating with foreign partners to establish all the facts, TASS reported. “I still have nothing to say,” Porter said.
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