Israel has accused Iran of being behind a fatal attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman.
"Tehran sows violence and destruction," said Israeli government circles on Friday.
According to the American army, two crew members were killed in the attack, which was apparently carried out with a drone.
The operator of the oil tanker is the company of a prominent Israeli entrepreneur.
Iran was "not just Israel's problem, but the problem of the whole world," said the Israeli government. "His behavior threatens the freedom of navigation and commercial trade." The attack on the tanker "MT Mercer Street" occurred on Thursday in the northern Indian Ocean. American marines who rushed to help after an emergency call from the crew saw evidence of the nature of the attack on site, according to a statement from the American army. There are “clear” indications of a drone-like attack.
According to the operating company Zodiac Maritime, which belongs to the Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, a Romanian and a British man were killed in the attack. The ship was therefore on the way from Tanzanian Dar es Salaam to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. There was no cargo on board at the time of the attack. The state news agency in Oman reported that the tanker had been handled by the country's navy. The attack on the ship occurred outside the sea area of the Sultanate.
The Iranian state broadcaster Al-Alam reported, citing "informed regional circles", that the attack on "MT Mercer Street" was a "response to a recent Israeli attack" on a Syrian airport. The broadcaster did not provide any further information. In the Gulf region there are repeated attacks on ships, which experts see as part of a shadow war between Israel and Iran. Analysts from the consultancy firm Dryad Global, which specializes in maritime security, said the attack on "MT Mercer Street" was the "fifth attack on a ship linked to Israel".
The Iran expert Meir Javendanfar from the Israeli university IDC in Herzliya described the attack as an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Nevertheless, he does not expect a change in the dynamics of the conflict. "Both sides will continue doing what they are doing," he predicted.