The US military’s Central Command has announced the results of its forensic investigation into last week’s fatal drone attack on a merchant tanker off Oman. It says explosives experts concluded that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was produced in Iran. The evidence has been shared with explosives experts in Britain and Israel who concurred with the findings. The attack on the MT Mercer Street killed two people. The vessel is managed by the London-based Zodiac Maritime, a company owned by Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer. Meanwhile Iran on Saturday rejected as psychological warfare accusations that it was behind a deadly attack on a tanker off Oman’s coast, and said Tehran sought to enhance the security of the strategic Gulf waterway. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy economies said on Friday Iran was threatening international peace and security and that all available evidence showed it was behind the attack on the Mercer Street tanker last week.
This is not first time has been accused by Israel, US and their allies for such attack. However, the Iranian Air Chief Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh informed the world, particularly Iranian rivals sitting in the region on Tuesday that the Iranian Air Force is fully prepared for the comprehensive defense of the borders of the Islamic Republic, the airspace is under constant control and observation. Nasirzadeh’s statement comes in the backdrop of the recent attacks on the Mercer Street tanker in the Arabian Sea and on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman near Fujairah, UAE. Various Western countries including the United States, UK and Israel accused Iran of involvement in these attacks without providing evidence of their claims.
The Iranian Air Chief further said that his Officer, Pilots, and all specialists possessing brilliant knowledge and flight experience, are ready to carry out orders at any time. According to reports, a Mercer Street tanker registered in Liberia and being operated by an Israeli owned firm Zodiac Maritime was attacked in the Arabian Sea in July 2021. While the British Maritime Trade Coordination Organization (UKMTO) reported an incident with an unnamed vessel in the Gulf of Oman east of UAE on August 03. Later, UKTMO said that the hijackers had abandoned the attacked vessel in the Gulf of Oman. While an international pricing agency “Argus” based in London claimed to have a recording of the crew member’s’ talk with the UAE Coast Guard, reporting that the Asphalt Princess tanker in the Gulf of Oman was attacked by a group of Iranians.
All these claims are being made by the allies against their common enemy supporting each other’s narratives and no one is there to scratch these fabricated stories. Although these incidents might happen or staged not by the Iranian but other actors can also undertake such adventures to fulfil their hidden agenda. Particularly, Israeli Intelligence Service Mossad has the history to conduct such provocative operations in the Middle East and Africa. The US and its allies including Israel are busy trying to trap Iran so they can achieve their goals in the region. Therefore, the situation in the Persian Gulf and Middle East region is rapidly deteriorating due to growing Israeli influence and presence in the Arab region.
Shafaqna Pakistan
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