According to U.S. officials, Iran is suspected of using a drone to attack an oil tanker belonging to an Israeli billionaire while it was cruising in the Gulf of Oman, which “further” jeopardizes freedom of navigation in the region.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that after reviewing the information at hand, “we are confident that Iran likely carried out this attack using an unmanned aerial vehicle, a lethal capability it is increasingly employing directly and through its proxies throughout the Middle East and proliferating in Russia for use in Ukraine.”
The US national security official stated that this strike, which is “the latest in a pattern of such broader destabilizing acts and activities,” has “no legitimacy.”
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Finally, Sullivan underscored to the parties in question Joe Biden’s unwavering commitment to “support the unfettered flow of commerce” via the Middle Eastern waterways. Additionally, he expressed gratitude to the UK for being the first country to alert authorities to the attack on the vessel “Pacific Zircon.”
ISRAEL ACCUSES ITSSELF OF THE CHARGES According to Israeli military officials who spoke to the DPA news agency, Teheran is also believed by Jerusalem to be responsible for the attack on the oil tanker off the coast of Oman, which they claim is consistent with Iran’s regional destabilization ambitions.
The aforementioned source has gone further than the US and claimed that Iran would have used a Shahed-136 drone, a type of drone that Tehran allegedly recently supplied to Moscow as part of its offensive against Ukraine, which got underway nearly nine months ago.
An Israeli millionaire’s oil tanker was struck by a drone late Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman, causing material damage but no injuries, according to a British security firm and sources cited by the American daily “The Wall Street Journal.”
According to the sources of the American publication, the attacking ship was transiting the Gulf of Oman when it was struck by an unmanned missile. Although there is currently no official proof, the sources speculate that the item may have been manufactured in Iran.
A “fishing vessel” delivering “lethal aid,” including “a considerable quantity of explosive materials,” from Iran to the Huthis was intercepted in the Gulf of Oman, according to the United States Fifth Fleet, without any response from Tehran.
The Huthis, sponsored by Iran, are at odds with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is currently represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and supported by a global alliance headed by Saudi Arabia. The country’s north and west are under the Huthis’ control, as well as the capital city of Sana’a.
Hans Grundberg, the special representative of the United Nations for Yemen, is attempting to bring the parties closer together in order to restart the peace process after the cease-fire established in April to coincide with the start of Ramadan and subsequently extended on several occasions ended in October.
