US Navy explosives experts believe a drone strike targeted an oil tanker that came under attack off the coast of Oman killing two on board
U.S. Navy explosives experts believe a ‚drone strike‘ targeted an oil tanker that came under attack off the coast of Oman, killing two on board, the U.S. Navy said July 31. Israel on July 30 blamed Iran for the attack on an Israeli-managed Mercer Street tanker off Oman that killed two crew members — a Briton and a Romanian. London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, said that the Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned vessel was attacked late on July 29. It did not provide more details about the nature of the attack. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher were escorting the Mercer Street as it headed to a safe port, the U.S. Navy’s Mdidle East-based 5th Fleet said 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. Initial indications clearly point to a UAV-style attack,“ the statement said. „Upon arrival, U.S. forces determined through clear visual evidence that an attack had occurred,“ the statement added. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran, saying he told Britain’s foreign secretary of the need for a tough response to the incident.
