2 crew members killed in a strike on a ship operated by Israel; Jerusalem accuses Iran

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Two crew members, a British and Romanian national, died Thursday evening in an attack on an oil tanker operated by an Israeli company off the coast of Oman, the company said.

An Israeli security official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that Israel believed Iran was behind the attack on the ship, citing similar attacks in the past.

Analysts said the attack bore all the hallmarks of tac-a-tat exchanges in the “shadow war” between Israel and Iran, in which ships linked to each nation were targeted in the waters. around the Gulf.

“With deep sadness, we understand that the incident aboard M / T Mercer Street on July 29, 2021 resulted in the deaths of two crew members on board,” Zodiac Maritime said in a statement Friday afternoon.

An unnamed U.S. official told The Associated Press it appeared that a so-called suicide drone was used in the attack. Iran and Tehran-backed Houthi rebels have used suicide drones in the past, unmanned planes loaded with explosives that explode on impact with a target.

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The assault represented the best-known maritime violence to date in regional attacks on shipping since 2019. The United States, Israel and others have blamed the attacks on Iran in connection with the collapse of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Zodiac Maritime,, MERCER STREET. , pic.twitter.com/9zLyHC2tFR

– Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 30, 2021

An unnamed senior Israeli official quoted by News Channels 12 and 13 said the Romanian death was apparently the captain, while the British man was a security guard.

“This is an Iranian terrorist attack which killed two innocent men, harming international navigation,” the official said.

Zodiac Maritime is a London-based company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer. Earlier this month, a UAE-bound ship previously owned by the Ofer company was struck in the northern Indian Ocean.

The company said that although it operates the Liberian-flagged “Mercer Street” tanker, the owner of the vessel is Japanese.

He added on Friday that he was not aware of any other injuries apart from the two crew members who died.

“Our main concern remains the safety and well-being of all on board and of all those affected by the situation. Details of the incident are still being worked out and an investigation into the incident is currently underway, ”the company added.

He later said the ship “was sailing under the control of its crew and on its own … to a place of safety with a US naval escort.”

A brief initial statement earlier of the British Army’s maritime trade operations in the UK indicated that an investigation was underway into the attack, which it described as having occurred Thursday evening just to the northeast from the Omani island of Masirah. The location is over 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of Oman’s capital, Muscat.

“We continue to work closely with UKMTO and other relevant authorities,” said Zodiac Maritime.

Meir Javedanfar, an expert on Iranian diplomacy and security at Israeli University IDC Herzliya, told AFP the attack was “most likely Iran”.

Javedanfar said the Iranians “feel at a great disadvantage when it comes to responding to attacks inside Iran that have been associated with Israel,” including a strike in April on the enrichment site of uranium from Natanz which was allegedly executed by Israel.

An attack on a maritime vessel “is an area where [Iranians] feel they can at least try to retaliate, ”he added.

But he felt that the fundamental dynamics of the rivalry would change little. “Both sides will continue what they are doing,” he said.

Israeli officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident, but it comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran as negotiations remain at a standstill over Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Other Israeli ships have been targeted in recent months, as have ships linked to Iran, amid a phantom war between the two nations, with Israeli officials accusing the Islamic Republic of being responsible for the assaults.

The UKMTO statement did not give details other than to say that it suspected the attack did not involve piracy. Earlier Thursday, the British military group said it was investigating another unexplained incident in the same region, but did not elaborate.

The Israeli-operated MERCER Street was attacked near Oman on July 29, 2021 (MarineTraffic.com screenshot)

Oman did not immediately acknowledge an attack and officials did not respond to requests for comment. The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, which patrols the Middle East, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In recent months, Israel and Iran have accused each other of attacking a number of merchant ships, damaging them with explosives. In each case, the ships were only slightly damaged and there were no injuries in the incidents.

On February 26, an explosion hit the MV Helios Ray, an Israeli freighter flying the flag of the Bahamas, in the Gulf of Oman. The then prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Iran of attacking the ship. Iran quickly denied the accusation, but experts say the attack bears the hallmarks of previous attacks attributed to Tehran.

Another Israeli-owned ship reportedly came under missile fire in the Gulf of Oman in late March, possibly by Iranian forces.

The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Israel had targeted at least 12 ships bound for Syria, most carrying Iranian oil, along with mines and other weapons.

Iranian media did not immediately recognize the attack on Friday.

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