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Three maritime security forces had told Reuters on Tuesday that the Asphalt Princess tanker had been hijacked in what it was believed to be by forces backed Iran . While the piracy has ended, Iran denies the accusations.
Also read: Iran-backed forces accused of hijacking tanker off Fujairah coast
The Maritime Security Center of Oman said on Twitter that it had received information about the Panamanian-flagged tanker Asphalt Princess being the target of a hijacking incident in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The Omani Navy has deployed several ships to help secure international waters.
“The Royal Oman Air Force is conducting a sortie near the area, and the Royal Oman Navy is deploying several ships to help secure international waters in the region,” he added. Al Arabiya, Wednesday (4/8/2021).
The hijacking took place in an area in the Arabian Sea that leads to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil exports carried by sea.
Also read: British Navy: Pirates Have Abandoned Ship Off UAE Coast
Senior spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, denounced reports of maritime incidents and piracy in the Gulf region as a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for a new reckless attack.
Tensions have risen in the region after a suspected drone attack last week on an Israeli-run tanker off the coast of Oman killed two crew members. The United States (US), Israel and Britain blamed Iran for the attack which Tehran denied.
The US and UK have said they will work with their allies to respond to the attack on Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged Japanese oil product tanker.
Tehran responded to the threat by saying it would respond to any threat to its security.
Also read: Enemy heats up, Iran threatens to counter US, UK and Israel
Regional tensions have worsened since 2018, when Washington reimposed sanctions on Iran after abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and global powers.
(ian)
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