Britain, Romania and Liberia told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that Iran had used one or more drones to carry out a deadly attack on an oil tanker last week off the coast of Oman.
The three countries said in a letter to the 15-member Security Council, seen by Reuters, that “this attack harmed the safety and security of international shipping and posed a threat to it and was a clear violation of international law… The international community should condemn this act.”
The United States announced, on Tuesday, that the response to an attack on an Israeli-operated petroleum products tanker off the coast of Oman “will be soon.”
US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, “We are consulting with governments, both inside and outside the region, about a
proportionate response.”
and last Friday, The American newspaper “New York Times” quoted Israeli officials as saying that the attack on a tanker in the Arabian Sea was apparently carried out by several Iranian marches. A locus of Israel was attacked, Thursday night, off the coast of Oman, killing two of its crew members.”
The attack represents the worst known naval violence to date in regional attacks on shipping since 2019. It witnessed the first casualties after years of attacks that targeted navigation in the region.
The newspaper quoted a US Defense Department official that “two ships Two US Navy SEALs responded to a distress call. American personnel boarded the tanker to assist in the investigation.”
An Israeli intelligence official stated that “the timing of the attack indicates that Iran is now expanding its naval operations,” and that “Iran appears to be using the sea to respond.”
Last Friday, Iranian media said that the attack on the Israeli ship came in response to the attack on the Dabaa airport in Syria a week ago.
