Johan Victor AP
ISTANBUL — The United States, Britain and Israel on Sunday all accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack last week on an oil tanker in the Arabian Sea that killed two people on board, raising fears of an escalating maritime war in the Middle East, as Tehran denied responsibility for the strike.
American and Israeli officials had previously said that Thursday’s attack on the Liberian-flagged Mercer Street bore the hallmarks of an operation by Iran, which has been accused of deploying attack drones in the past. The Mercer Street is managed by Zodiac Maritime, a London-based company owned by an Israeli billionaire. Those killed included a British national and a Romanian citizen, the company said.
Hostilities over the past two years between Israel and Iran have frequently played out at sea, in tit-for-tat attacks by both countries on oil tankers, private commercial vessels or warships — a conflict often referred to as part of a “shadow war” that feels increasingly overt. The strike on the Mercer, off the coast of Oman, marked a significant escalation and was the first time fatalities had resulted from one of the recent attacks.
On Sunday, Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said he “condemned” allegations linking Tehran to the attack and called on Israel to “stop spreading accusations,” according to the semiofficial Iranian Students’ News Agency.
Later Sunday, in apparently coordinated statements, the United States, Britain and Israel expressed certainty that Iran was responsible, without immediately providing evidence.
“Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack, which killed two innocent people, using one-way explosive UAVs, a lethal capability it is increasingly employing throughout the region,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.
“We are working with our partners to consider our next steps and consulting with governments inside the region and beyond on an appropriate response, which will be forthcoming,” he added.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the attack “deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law by Iran” and said one or more drones were used, according to a British government statement. “UK assessments have concluded that it is highly likely that Iran” attacked the Mercer Street, he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, speaking at a cabinet meeting, also accused Iran of responsibility.
[Attack on oil tanker off the coast of Oman kills two crew members]
“I have now heard that Iran, in a cowardly manner, is trying to evade its responsibility for the incident and are denying it. So I’m stating here, absolutely, that Iran is the one that carried out the attack against the ship,” he said. The strike aimed to hit an Israeli target, Bennett said, adding that “intelligence evidence exists” tying Iran to the attack, though he did not present any.
In their comments Sunday, both Khatibzadeh and Bennett hinted at further retaliatory action.
“This regime has brought insecurity, terror and fear wherever it has gone,” Khatibzadeh said, referring to Israel. “Whoever sows the wind reaps the storm.”
Bennett said Israel expected the international community to “make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a grave mistake.”
“We, in any case, know how to convey the message to Iran in our own ways,” he added.
The hostilities have raised fears about the safety of passage in the waterways around the Middle East and cast a shadow over ongoing negotiations between Iran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew three years ago. Israel opposes the deal.
[Iran will not return to nuclear talks before new government is formed in Tehran]
The negotiations began in April but have recently stalled, with Iran indicating it will not return to the talks until after a new government takes office this week. U.S. and Iranian officials have expressed frustration with the pace of the talks.
In March, Israel blamed Iran for an attack on an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman and vowed to retaliate. The following month, an Iranian-flagged ship was damaged by an explosion in the Red Sea. In June, a container vessel — previously owned by Zodiac Maritime — was attacked in the Indian Ocean.
A spokesman for Ambrey, a private British maritime security company, said in an emailed statement that one of the victims in the Mercer Street attack was a member of the company’s team and the other was a crew member.
In a statement Saturday, U.S. Central Command said that American naval forces had responded to the vessel after receiving an emergency distress call and that initial indications “clearly point to a UAV-style attack.”
After the strike, the Mercer Street was escorted by the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier, and the USS Mitscher, a guided missile destroyer. Naval explosive experts were aboard “to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew,” the statement said.
Rubin reported from Tel Aviv. Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report.
Iran’s largest naval warship burns and sinks in Gulf of Oman
U.S. Navy shares photos of enormous Arabian Sea weapons seizure
"Oil" - Google News
August 02, 2021 at 12:01AM
https://ift.tt/3jcPFiJ
Israel blames Iran for fatal drone strike on oil tanker after Tehran denies responsibility - The Washington Post
"Oil" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SukWkJ
https://ift.tt/3fcD5NP
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Israel blames Iran for fatal drone strike on oil tanker after Tehran denies responsibility - The Washington Post"
Post a Comment