Two Killed During Attack on Israeli-Managed Product Tanker off Oman

(courtesy of GeoEye)

Two seafarers were reported killed in the latest attack on an Israeli-managed vessel operating in the Middle East region. The incidental, which was confirmed by UK officials, is the latest in a series of attacks on vessels in the region in a rumor shadow war between Iran and Israel, but the first to result in casualties .
UK-based Zodiac Maritime issued a brief statement initially saying. “ We can confirm that there has been a suspect plagiarism incident onboard the product oil tanker M/T Mercer Street, ” but did not elaborate on details. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations ( UKMTO ) besides issued alerts on the fire, but said that it did not believe it was piracy. They said aid was being provided to the product oil tanker and that the investigation was ongoing .
The 49,000 dwt intersection tanker owned by a japanese company and managed by the firm controlled by Israeli shipping baron Eyal Ofer departed Dar e Salaam, Tanzania on July 19. There was no cargo aboard and the vessel was due to arrive at the petroleum terminal in Fujairah, UAE on July 31. The tanker was sailing off the seashore of Oman in the northern amerind Ocean at the prison term of the attack. The UKMTO positions the vessel approximately 152 nautical miles northeast of Duqm, Oman.

The Jerusalem Post is citing comments of nameless Israeli officials on Israeli TV ’ s Channel 13 alleging that the attack was carried out by an unman iranian monotone. “ There is an iranian terrorist attack here, two barren people were killed, ” said the anonymous reference, “ The Iranians attacked the ship with an unmanned aircraft, ” says the report in The Jerusalem Post. They are besides reporting that american english officials besides called it a drone attack .

update on the situation involving the M/T Mercer Street : pic.twitter.com/sRuuyvwLA8
— Zodiac Maritime (@Zodiac_Maritime) July 30, 2021

“ With profound sadness, we understand the incident onboard the M/T Mercer Street on July 29, 2021, has resulted in the deaths of two crowd members onboard : a romanian national and a UK national. We are not aware of injury to any other personnel, ” Zodiac said in a follow-up statement sooner today. The management company belated reported that the United States is providing a naval escort and the Mercer Street under command of its crew is proceeding at 14 knots to “ a safe location. ” The vessel ’ second AIS signal appears to be turned off .
israeli media reports suggested that the Romanian was the captain of the oil tanker and the british citizen was a security guard working aboard the oil tanker .
shortly before the reports of the attack on the Mercer Street, the UKMTO issued another composition of an incidental approximately 86 nautical miles from Al Duqm. They said they were investing a non-piracy incident in the lapp region, but it is ill-defined if this was related to the Mercer Street or a freestanding attack, and no extra details were provided.

In holocene months, Israeli and iranian officials have been trading acquisitions of attacks coming from each state. An Israeli-owned cable car carrier was struck by what was believed to be a missile near Fujairah in April but suffered only minor damage and no injuries to the crew. At the begin of July, a cargo ship reportedly previously owned by Ofer besides suffered an explosion, which was being invested as another possible drone approach. The Iranians blame Israel for a oil tanker that exploded off the slide of Syria. An iranian vessel was besides attacked in the leap while sailing in the Red Sea .
U.S. officials have blamed Iran for increase tensions in the region. Earlier this year, the U.S. Navy reported several incidents of irani crafts sailing perilously close to U.S. warships patrolling in the region. In one incident, the irani were accused of dangerous maneuvers and the U.S. vessels fired warning shots.