Oil tanker hit by armed drone off coast of Oman: Official
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Alaina
- . November 16, 2022
- . Update: November 17, 2022 12:57 am
An official has confirmed to the Associated Press that a drone carrying a bomb damaged an oil tanker connected to an Israeli millionaire off the coast of Oman.
The strike took place on Tuesday night off the coast of Oman, according to a defence official based in the Middle East. The official spoke on Wednesday under the condition of anonymity because they lacked permission to talk about the attack in public.
We are aware of an incident, and it is currently being examined, a British military organisation in the area that monitors shipping told the Associated Press.
The oil tanker Pacific Zircon, flying the flag of Liberia, was the one that was assaulted, according to the official. Idan Ofer, an Israeli millionaire, owns a majority stake in the Singapore-based company Eastern Pacific Shipping, which runs the ship.
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The Pacific Zircon, which was transporting gas oil, had been “struck by a missile” around 150 miles (240 kilometres) off the coast of Oman, according to a statement from Eastern Pacific Shipping.
“We are in contact with the vessel, and there have been no reports of accidents or environmental damage.”
According to the company, all crew members are secure and present. There is a little amount of hull damage, but no cargo has spilled or water has gotten inside the ship.
The Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi did not return a call. Both the Israeli defence ministry and the office of the prime minister declined to comment.
Although no one immediately claimed responsibility for the strike, an unidentified Israeli official who spoke to Reuters said that Iran was behind it. They stated that the attack employed a drone similar to one that had previously been provided to Russia in the Ukraine.
Israel was blamed for the incident by Iran’s Nournews, which is connected to the country’s main security organisation, and accused it of creating a distraction before the World Cup of soccer, which gets underway in Qatar on Sunday.
Iran and Israel have been at war in the wider Middle East for many years, with some drone assaults focusing on Israeli-affiliated vessels cruising the area.
