DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An oil tanker associated with an Israeli billionaire has been hit by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman amid rising tensions with Iran, a official at The Associated Press.
The attack on the Liberian-flagged tanker Pacific Zircon took place Tuesday night off the coast of Oman, the Middle East-based defense official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the attack publicly.
UK Merchant Marine Operations, a British military organization in the region that oversees shipping, told the AP: “We are aware of an incident and it is being investigated at this time.”
The Pacific Zircon is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
In a statement, Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon, which was carrying diesel, had been “hit by a projectile” about 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the coast of Oman.
“We are in communication with the ship and there are no reports of injuries or contamination. All crew are safe and accounted for,” the company said. “There is some minor damage to the vessel’s hull, but no cargo spillage or water ingress.”
A call to the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi went unanswered. Israel’s prime minister’s office and its defense ministry declined to comment.
Oil prices rose slightly as news of the attack spread, with benchmark Brent crude trading above $94 a barrel.
Although no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion immediately fell on Iran. Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war for years in the Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting ships associated with Israel traveling through the region.
The US also blamed Iran for a series of attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in 2019. At the time, Tehran had begun escalating its nuclear program after the US unilaterally withdrew from its nuclear deal with the world powers
In 2021, a suspected Iranian drone strike hit the oil tanker associated with Israel Mercer Street off Oman, killing two people on board.
Iranian state media did not immediately acknowledge the attack on the Pacific Zircon. The boat’s whereabouts were not immediately known Wednesday. Tuesday afternoon satellite tracking data provided by MarineTraffic.com put the vessel deep in the Arabian Sea after leaving the Omani port of Sohar.
Since the collapse of the Iran nuclear deal, non-proliferation experts have warned that the Islamic Republic now has enough enriched uranium to make at least one nuclear weapon if it wanted to, although Tehran insists its program is peaceful
Iran has also been attacking its perceived enemies abroad amid nationwide protests for months now challenging its theocracy.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said the attack was “not a surprise”.
“The risk of attacks against maritime and energy infrastructure in the region is increasing primarily due to the lack of progress in nuclear diplomacy between the United States and Iran and Washington’s decision to apply more sanctions pressure to Iran,” he said. “Since 2019, Iran has consistently responded to new US sanctions with covert military action in the region.”
He added: “There is not only a growing risk of disruptive attacks against energy infrastructure in the region, but also a growing risk of a wider military confrontation with more serious consequences for global energy markets.”
The tanker attack also comes just days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Although Doha maintains good relations with Tehran, with whom it shares a huge offshore natural gas field, the Israelis will attend the tournament. Iran’s national team will also face Britain and the United States in first-round matches, two countries it accuses of fomenting unrest.
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Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.