The European Union and NATO condemned the attack on the tanker operated by an Israeli company off the Gulf of Oman, and the union said it was awaiting clarification on the circumstances of the attack and the results of the investigation, while Israel said it was keeping open the option of individual action against Iran.

The European Union added - in a statement - that the attack on the tanker contradicts the freedom of navigation, declaring its rejection of any actions that affect the stability of the region.

The European Union spokeswoman for foreign affairs, Nabila Masrali, said that the attack on the oil tanker off the Gulf of Oman several days ago is a rejected and condemned act, and that the Union is waiting for clarification of the circumstances of the attack, adding that freedom of movement in that area must be preserved.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also expressed its members' concern over what it described as Iran's destabilizing actions in the region, and called on it to abide by its international obligations.

In a statement, NATO condemned the attack on the Mercer Street ship, owned by an Israeli company, off the Gulf of Oman.

He also stressed that freedom of movement is vital to all NATO allies and should be adhered to in accordance with international laws.


Bennett: Israel can act on its own

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel was able to act alone against Iran, after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expected a "collective response" to the attack on the Israeli ship.

"The time to sit comfortably in Tehran and ignite the entire Middle East from there is over," Bennett said during a tour of Israel's northern border. "We are working to rally the world, but in parallel we also know how to work on our own."

Bennett stated that "immediately after the Iranian attack on the ship, we shared our intelligence with our friends in the United States, Britain and other countries. No one doubts the identity of the party behind this event, but we have provided conclusive evidence to prove it."

He added, "In parallel, with great regret, a representative of the European Union intends to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi," noting that Raisi "is the most extremist president of Iran to date," and that the competition in this field is tough.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said - on Monday - that his country must now act against Iran against the backdrop of the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.

And he believed that Iran - led by what he described as a "new butcher", in reference to its president, Ibrahim Raisi - would be more dangerous to the world.

In an interview with the Knesset, Gantz added, commenting on the attack on the Israeli ship, that Iran would be more harmful and destructive to the region than it was, and would aspire to become an existential threat to Israel.

Gantz said that the attack on the Mercer Street ship constitutes an ascension to a new degree of escalation, and requires action against Iran, which he said "undermines stability in the Middle East, and seeks to dangerously arm those he described as terrorist militias."

Israel, the United States and Britain have accused Iran of being responsible for the incident, a charge Tehran denies.


Reply options

British government sources said, according to what was revealed by the newspaper "The Sun", that Britain had developed "a set of options" to respond to Iran after Thursday's attack on the Israeli tanker off the coast of Oman.

A senior source in the Ministry of Defense said that the most likely response would be in cyberspace in the form of cyber attacks.

The newspaper quotes a Foreign Office insider that after a British citizen was killed in the attack, we must make clear that "there are lines that cannot be crossed."

The newspaper points out that a team of special forces went to join the stricken tanker and take charge of the investigation.

In turn, the British "The Mirror" reported that British officials are drawing up plans for an offensive mission of British special forces against what it described as an Iranian-backed terrorist team that attacked an oil tanker operated by Israel.

The newspaper says that Israeli intelligence has identified the area from which a team is believed to have launched the suspected drone in Thursday's attack.

The Mirror adds that British special forces, including Special Air Force specialists and Special Boat Service commandos, are already in the area and have been reinforced for an offensive mission.

Appeal to international law

In turn, the State of Qatar expressed its condemnation of the attack that targeted the Israeli oil tanker, and at the same time expressed its hope that "international law will be resorted to to ensure that such an attack will not be repeated in the future in a manner that preserves security and stability in the region."

In a statement issued on Monday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed, "The State of Qatar's total rejection of actions that would disrupt the safety and security of international maritime transport and impede the movement of ships and tankers."

The statement stressed "the need for all countries to abide by the international conventions and norms regulating navigation throughout the world."

Iranian exile

Iran denied responsibility for the attack, and its foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Romanian ambassador to Tehran, saying it "rejects these accusations and considers them baseless and baseless."

She asked the Romanian ambassador to convey Tehran's protest and strong dissatisfaction to the authorities of his country.

The Foreign Ministry indicated that a third party seeks to destabilize security in the region, and that the rest of the countries should be careful about these conspiracies, as it put it.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Chargé d'Affairs of the British Embassy in Tehran to protest against his country's statements regarding the attack on the Mercer Street ship.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman - Saeed Khatibzadeh - said that his country "will not hesitate to defend its security and interests, and will respond to any potential adventure immediately and strongly."

Saeed Khatibzadeh added that the allegations about Tehran's involvement in the attack on the Israeli tanker were "provocative and baseless."

Tel Aviv, Washington and London accused Tehran of being behind the attack that targeted an oil tanker operated by the Zodiac Maritime Company, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, which killed two crew members.

One is British and the other is Romanian.

No party claimed the attack, but the company, Dryad Global, which specializes in maritime security, spoke of "new reprisals in the clandestine war" between Iran and Israel.