"Iran Claims Drone Attack on Oil Tanker"
US: "Investigating Incident with UK, Israel, Romania, etc."
Iran Firmly Denies: "Israel's Another False Flag"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom have simultaneously pointed to Iran as the culprit behind the recent tanker attack near Oman, escalating military tensions in the Middle East. Iran has strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless, while the U.S. has announced it will conduct a direct investigation into the incident, with significant diplomatic repercussions expected depending on the outcome of the inquiry.
According to local media including the Times of Israel on the 1st (local time), Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated at a cabinet meeting, "It is clear that Iran is responsible for the attack on the Israeli tanker," adding, "We have evidence and hope to inform the international community that Iran has made a tremendous mistake this time."
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, the Mercer Street tanker, operated by an Israeli shipping company, was attacked near Oman by what is presumed to be an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone). The attack resulted in the deaths of two people: one British captain and one Romanian security officer. The tanker is owned by a Japanese company and operated by Zodiac Maritime, an international shipping company run by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer.
Following Prime Minister Bennett's remarks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a statement saying, "After reviewing all available information, we are confident that Iran carried out this attack," and added, "We are consulting with our allies on the appropriate response." Subsequently, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab strongly criticized the attack, stating, "It is highly likely that Iran deployed more than one drone in the attack," and called it a "clear violation of international law."
After Israel, the U.S. and the UK consecutively pointed to Iran as behind the tanker attack, the Iranian government immediately rebutted. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement, "Israel has once again created unrest, terrorism, and violence," and added, "Israel must stop baseless accusations."
With both sides firmly standing their ground, the U.S. military has begun a full-scale investigation into the incident, and diplomatic issues are expected to arise depending on the investigation results. The U.S. Central Command stated, "U.S. military explosive experts will support the investigation to ensure no additional risks to the crew," and noted, "It is highly likely that the attack was carried out by a drone." The Mercer Street tanker is also known to have been escorted by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
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