An attack on an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire killed two crew members off Oman in the Arabian Sea, authorities said Friday, marking the first fatalities after years of assaults targeting shipping in the region.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Thursday night raid on the Liberian-flagged tanker Mercer Street. However, a U.S. official said it appears a so-called suicide drone was used in the attack, raising the possibility that a government or a militia group was behind it. Without providing evidence, Israeli officials alleged that Iran carried out the attack.
London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group, said the attack killed two crew members, one from the United Kingdom and the other from Romania. It did not name them, nor did it describe what happened in the assault. It said it believed no other crew members on board were harmed.
Zodiac Maritime described the Mercer Street's owners as Japanese, without naming them. Shipping authority Lloyd's List identified the vessel's ultimate owner as Taihei Kaiun Co., which belongs to the Tokyo-based Nippon Yusen Group. Israeli officials, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren't authorized to talkj to the media, blamed Tehran for the attack, adding that Israel's “campaign against will continue.”
British maritime security firm Ambrey said the attack on Mercer Street had killed one of its team members, along with a member of the tanker's crew. The intelligence firm said it was working with authorities and offering support to the victim's family “at this incredibly sad time.”
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