Israel says it has evidence linking Iran to deadly tanker attack; Tehran denies

Above, the oil tanker Mercer Street off Cape Town, South Africa in this Jan. 2, 2016 photo. The ship was attacked off the coast of Oman on Thursday that killed two people. (AP)
Short Url
  • Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he has ordered the nation鈥檚 diplomats to push for UN action against 鈥淚ranian terrorism鈥�

JEDDAH/DUBAI: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday Israel had 鈥渆vidence鈥� Iran was behind the deadly tanker attack off Oman despite its denials, and warned his country could 鈥渟end a message鈥� in retaliation.

Bennett鈥檚 statement came after Iran rejected Israel鈥檚 鈥渂aseless accusations鈥� it was responsible for the attack that killed two crewmen, and Tehran vowed to defend its interests after its arch-foe pushed for UN action against it.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh made comments on the attack from Tehran and denied any involvement, saying Israel 鈥渕ust stop such baseless accusations,鈥� and noting 鈥渋t is not their first time to direct such accusations at Iran.鈥�

The MT Mercer Street, managed by prominent Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was struck Thursday off the Omani coast.

鈥淭he intelligence evidence for this exists and we expect the international community will make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake,鈥� the Israeli premier said at the weekly cabinet meeting in remarks conveyed by his office.

鈥淚n any case, we know how to send a message to Iran in our own way.鈥�

From Jerusalem, Bennett slammed Iran鈥檚 鈥渃owardly鈥� denial, saying he could 鈥渄etermine with absolute certainty that Iran carried out the attack against the ship.鈥�

鈥淚ran鈥檚 aggressive conduct is dangerous not only to Israel, but also harms global interests, freedom of navigation and international trade,鈥� he said.

Two crewmen, one British and one Romanian, died in Thursday鈥檚 attack on the oil tanker, which was on its way from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Fujairah in the UAE.

The US military said that early indications 鈥渃learly point鈥� to a drone strike on the Mercer Street.

鈥淯S Navy personnel are on the Mercer Street, assisting the vessel鈥檚 crew,鈥� the US military鈥檚 Central Command said. 鈥淯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.鈥�

The maritime industry analysts Dryad Global said the attack had 鈥渢he hallmarks of the ongoing Israel/Iran 鈥榮hadow war鈥�.鈥�

The UK on Sunday denounced Iran's 鈥渄eliberate, targeted鈥� attack on the tanker after assessing Tehran was behind the attack.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the attack 鈥渦nlawful and callous鈥� and said the UK was working with its international partners on a concerted response to what he called an 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� strike.

It said the attack was the fifth against a ship connected to Israel since February, and two ships linked to Iran had been attacked in the same period.

Iran鈥檚 Arabic-language Al-Alam state TV channel, citing 鈥渋nformed regional sources,鈥� said the attack was a 鈥渞esponse to a recent Israeli attack鈥� targeting an airport in central Syria where Iran is backing the regime.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and agreed to work with other allies "to investigate the facts, provide support, and consider the appropriate next steps", a State Department statement said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid ordered his country鈥檚 diplomats to push for UN action against 鈥淚ranian terrorism.鈥�

He said: 鈥淚鈥檝e instructed the embassies in Washington, London and the UN to work with their interlocutors in government and the relevant delegations in the UN headquarters in New York.

鈥淚ran is not just an Israeli problem, but an exporter of terrorism, destruction and instability that are hurting us all.鈥�

Lapid said he had also spoken to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, stressing 鈥渢he need to respond severely to the attack on the ship in which a British citizen was killed.鈥�

HIGHLIGHT

Several Iranian drones appear to have carried out the attack, crashing into living quarters under the ship鈥檚 command center.

The strike on the tanker comes as European powers meet with Iran in an effort to shore up a 2015 agreement to curtail the Islamic republic鈥檚 nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

The accord was strained when in 2018 former US President Donald Trump withdrew the US unilaterally and reimposed sanctions.

Negotiations in Vienna, where the US is indirectly taking part, have stalled ahead of next week鈥檚 inauguration of newly elected ultra-conservative Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi.

Retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Shlomo Brom, a senior research fellow at Israel鈥檚 Institute for National Security Studies, said the attack appeared to copy elements of an Israeli exploding drone strike on a centrifuge manufacturing site in Iran in June.

Israel 鈥渟tarted developing drones and was among the first to develop the concept of a kamikaze,鈥� Gen. Brom said.

鈥淭he Iranians are imitating us and adopting the same techniques.鈥� Iran鈥檚 strike was 鈥渁 certain escalation but aimed at avoiding a full-scale war,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are not interested in a wider escalation, just as we are not interested in a wider escalation.鈥�

In June, Iran said it had foiled a sabotage attack on an atomic energy agency building near the city of Karaj west of Tehran.

But aerial photographs obtained by private Israeli intelligence firm The Intel Lab revealed damage to the site.

(With AFP and AP)