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The Japanese-owned Mercer Street tanker but operated by an Israeli shipping company was attacked off the coast of Oman on Thursday night. Two crew members died in the attack.
Also read: US Source: Iran Suspects Israeli Ship Attack Kills 2 Crew
The USS Ronald Reagan was recently dispatched to the Middle East to help protect American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan.
A Pentagon office told Al Arabiya, Saturday (31/7/2021) said US Navy personnel were now aboard the Mercer Street.
According to the official, members of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet responded to a distress call from a ship in international waters earlier in the day after it was attacked.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran for the deadly incident. He said he had informed the British foreign secretary of the need for a strong response to the incident.
“Iran is not just Israel’s 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 is also detrimental to freedom of navigation,” Lapid said in a statement Al Jazeera, Saturday (31/7/2021).
There was no immediate official reaction from Iran to accusations that Tehran was suspected of being behind the attack on the ship
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