Dubai:
The US Navy is assisting an Israeli-managed petroleum goods tanker attacked off Oman with two crew members killed, the US military mentioned on Saturday, adding the ship was most probably hit by a drone strike.
Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned vessel that was attacked on Thursday, is becoming escorted by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, U.S. Central Command mentioned in a statement.
“U.S. Navy explosives experts are aboard to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and are prepared to support an investigation into the attack,” mentioned Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia.
“Initial indications clearly point to a UAV-style (drone) attack,” it added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran on Friday for the attack, which killed a Briton and a Romanian, and mentioned it deserved a harsh response. There was no quick official reaction from Iran to the accusation that it was accountable.
Lapid spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the incident on Saturday evening, he mentioned on Twitter.
“We are working together against Iranian terrorism, which poses a threat to all of us, by formulating a real and effective international response,” Lapid mentioned.
Lapid added on Twitter: Iran “repeatedly errs in understanding our commitment to protecting ourselves and our interests.”
U.S. and European sources familiar with intelligence reporting mentioned on Friday that Iran was their top suspect for the incident.
Al Alam Television, the Iranian government’s Arabic-language tv network, cited unnamed sources as saying the attack on the ship came in response to a suspected, unspecified Israeli attack on Dabaa airport in Syria.
The vessel is managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime. The corporation mentioned on Friday the vessel was sailing beneath the manage of its crew and personal energy to a secure place with a U.S. naval escort.
Iran and Israel have traded accusations of attacking every other’s vessels in current months.
Tensions have risen in the Gulf area due to the fact the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 just after then-President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with key powers.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which gives maritime safety data, mentioned the vessel was about 152 nautical miles (280 km) northeast of the Omani port of Duqm when it was attacked.
According to Refinitiv ship tracking, the medium-size tanker was headed for Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
(This story has not been edited by TheSpuzz employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)