ON THE BRINK: IRAN has said the attack on an oil tanker that killed a British army veteran guarding the vessel was revenge for Israeli strikes on Syria.

The Mercer Street – which is managed by an Israeli billionaire’s company - was off Oman and on its way to the UAE when it was struck on Thursday night, leaving two on board dead.

The unnamed dead Brit is an army veteran who was working for the Herefordshire based security company Ambrey.

Suspicion immediately fell on Iran, which has been linked to other attacks on tankers and has been engaged in a tit-for-tat shadow war with Israel in which each other’s ships have been targeted.

But the country's state media has come out directly and claimed responsibility and said the attack was retaliation for an Israeli strike on Syria.

Al Alam TV, the Iranian government's Arabic-language television network, said the attack was in "retaliation for last week's Israeli attack on the Al-Dabaa Military Airport in the al-Qusair area of Homs".

The station says the attack on Al-Dabaa had led to the “martyrdom” of two people who linked to Iran’s “resistance axis,” which means pro-Iran groups such as Hezbollah or other militias.

Israel has been targeting Iranian forces in Syria to aid the regime of Bashar al-Assad in the country's brutal civil war.

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid directly pointed the finger of blame at Iran.

"Iran is not just an Israeli problem, but an exporter of terrorism, destruction and instability that harms us all,” he said.

“The world must not be silent in the face of Iranian terrorism that also harms freedom of shipping.”


Lapid said he was in with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and had “noted to him the need to respond severely to the attack”.

Israel’s defence leaders are now reportedly discussing how best to retaliate.

“The only question is how and when we’ll respond,” one official told the Israel’s Walla news.

Iran has been blamed for a number of attacks on tankers in its surrounding waters.

In 2019, two oil tankers , the Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous, were attacked by torpedos and burst into flames off the coast of Iran.

Balaclava-clad Iranian commandos seized the British tanker Stena Impero that year.

But the attack on the Mercer Street marks the first-known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal.

A unnamed US official, told The Associated Press that the attack appeared to have been carried out by a “one-way” drone and other drones took part.

SHADOW WAR

Israeli news website Ynet said the assessment in Israel was that there were two attacks on the ship, spaced several hours apart.

The first caused no damage, and the second hit the bridge, causing the casualties, with the other dead reportedly the ship’s Romanian captain.

Maritime industry analysts Dryad Global said the attack was similar to previous incidents against vessels associated with Israel and Iran.

Two ships operated by Israeli firm Ray Shipping were attacked earlier this year.

The American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher were escorting the Mercer Street as it headed to a safe port.

Earlier this year, Iran tested kamikaze drones in two day exercises.

Beyond surveillance, Iranian drones can drop munitions and also carry out a "kamikaze" flight when loaded with explosives and flown into a target, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters.

DropsMic:
Lol

When e start now them go begin use hashtags

Bluntguy:
Iran is a rogue nation. Why didn't they revenge while Netanyahu was still the Prime Minister of Israel? Anyway, I am waiting for Israel's response.

Afamsi:
1 on 1 Israel will defeat this terrorists country 10 out 10

obonujoker:
When Israel starts now, you will begin to hear human rights

FoolishBoy419:


You must be thinking you are talking about Gaza here. Besides, we all know the country that kills innocent civilians on a daily basis

michresakidjo:
Is this the Iran that is bent on acquiring Nukes?



If Israel truly desires peace, I think it's high time Israeli government step up its game on this vermin... The scourge of humanity

dermmy:


The way you comment at times makes me doubt if you are truly a student of international politics as you have said. This kind of operation and sabotage is what Israel does inside and outside Iran and Israel would keep mute. The only difference now is Iran acknowledging it publicly that it did it unlike Israel.

dermmy:


The way you comment at times makes me doubt if you are truly a student of international politics as you have said. This kind of operation and sabotage is what Israel does inside and outside Iran and Israel would keep mute. The only difference now is Iran acknowledging it publicly that it did it unlike Israel.

Valkrie:


Oga, itbjad been done before and can be done again ....!!

Have you ever wondered with all the ranting of all the Arab nations and wipe Isreal off the map from Iran they have never sat down together to plan militarily on how to achieve their aim after their last beating by Israel...!