Israel’s Netanyahu blames Iran for strike on oil tanker

Oil tanker within the Gulf was ‘hit by an airborne object’ whereas within the Arabian Sea, proprietor says.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused arch-foe Iran of attacking an Israeli-linked oil tanker earlier this month.

“On the Iranian entrance, our efforts are unceasing for the straightforward purpose that Iran’s acts of aggression are unceasing,” Netanyahu stated on Sunday firstly of his weekly cupboard assembly.

“Final week Iran once more attacked an oil tanker within the Gulf [region] and struck on the worldwide freedom of navigation,” he stated.

Campo Sq., a Liberian-flagged product tanker, was on February 10 “hit by an airborne object whereas within the Arabian Sea, roughly 300 nautical miles [555 kilometres] off the coasts of India and Oman”, in accordance with Eletson, the Greek firm that manages the vessel.

“Each the vessel and crew are secure and continuing as per deliberate passage. There may be minor injury to the vessel.”

A spokesman for Eletson stated the Liberian firm that owns Campos Sq. was “linked” to Zodiac Maritime, the British transport firm based and chaired by an Israeli, Eyal Ofer.

Iran has not commented on the assault.

Hanging Iranian targets

Iran has been engaged in a shadow conflict with Israel for years, with Tehran accusing Israel of being behind a sequence of sabotage assaults and assassinations focusing on its nuclear programme.

Iran and the West have additionally been at odds over Tehran’s nuclear exercise and its provide of arms – together with long-range “suicide drones” – for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

Tehran has accused Israel of being behind a January drone assault on a defence ministry web site in Iran’s central Isfahan province.

In November, Israel and the USA blamed Iran for a drone strike on a tanker off the coast of Oman.

The vessel was operated by an organization owned by Idan Ofer, Eyal’s brother.

A Zodiac Maritime-operated vessel was struck by a drone off Oman in July 2021, killing two crew members, in an assault blamed on Iran.

Israel has lengthy stated it’s prepared to strike Iranian targets if diplomacy fails to curb Tehran’s nuclear or missile programmes, however doesn’t touch upon particular incidents.

Talks between Iran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal have stalled since September of final yr. Underneath the pact, deserted by Washington in 2018 underneath then-US President Donald Trump, Tehran agreed to restrict nuclear work in return for an easing of sanctions.