Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
United States Navy helps tanker Managed Mercer Street Israel attacked in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Oman, Saturday (31/7).
“US Navy explosives experts are on board to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and stand ready to support an investigation into the attack,” US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, said in a statement. as quoted from Reuters, Saturday (31/7).
US naval forces said it was likely the ship was hit by a drone strike.
“Initial indications clearly point to a UAV (drone) style attack,” he added.
Meanwhile, responding to the attack on his ship, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran for the attack and said they deserved a strong response last Friday.
The attack is known to have killed two people, one British and the other a Romanian.
Lapid also claimed to have spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the incident on Saturday (31/7) evening, he said on Twitter.
“We are working together against Iranian terrorism, which is a threat to all of us, by formulating a real and effective international response,” Lapid said.
“(Iran) is repeatedly confused in understanding our commitment to protect ourselves and our interests,” he added.
Sources close to US and European intelligence said Iran was their prime suspect in the incident.
Iran’s state media, Al Alam TV, said the attack on the ship occurred in response to a suspected and unspecified Israeli attack on Dabaa airport in Syria.
Iran and Israel have frequently accused each other of attacking their respective ships in recent months.
British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which provides maritime security information, said the vessel was about 152 nautical miles (280 km) northeast of Oman’s Duqm port when it was attacked.
The attack left two people dead, one British and the other Romanian.
The Liberian-flagged Mercer Street is managed by Israel’s Zodiac Maritime. The company said the ship sailed under the control of its crew and had its own power to a safe location with a US naval escort.
According to the tracking vessel Refinitiv, the medium-sized tanker was bound for Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Tensions have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after former President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
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