Official says oil tanker hit by bomb-carrying drone off Oman - The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An lipid tanker associated with an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone disconnected the seashore of Oman amid heightened tensions with Iran, an authoritative told The Associated Press connected Wednesday.

The onslaught happened Tuesday nighttime disconnected the seashore of Oman, the Mideast-based defence authoritative said. The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity arsenic they did not person authorization to sermon the onslaught publicly.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British subject enactment successful the portion monitoring shipping, told the AP: “We are alert of an incidental and it’s being investigated astatine this time.”

The authoritative identified the vas attacked arsenic the Liberian-flagged lipid tanker Pacific Zircon. That tanker is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is simply a institution yet owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.

In a statement, Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon, carrying state oil, had been “hit by a projectile” immoderate 150 miles (240 kilometers) disconnected the seashore of Oman.

“We are successful connection with the vas and determination is nary reports of injuries oregon pollution. All unit are harmless and accounted for,” the institution said. “There is immoderate insignificant harm to the vessel’s hull but nary spillage of cargo oregon h2o ingress.”

A telephone to the Israeli Embassy successful Abu Dhabi rang unanswered. Israel’s premier curate bureau and its defence ministry declined to comment.

While nary 1 instantly claimed work for the attack, suspicion instantly fell connected Iran. Tehran and Israel person been engaged successful a yearslong shadiness warfare successful the wider Middle East, with immoderate drone attacks targeting Israeli-associated vessels traveling astir the region.

The U.S. besides blamed Iran for a bid of attacks occurring disconnected the seashore of the United Arab Emirates successful 2019. Tehran past had begun escalating its atomic programme pursuing the U.S.′ unilateral retreat from its atomic woody with satellite powers.

In 2021, a suspected Iranian drone onslaught deed the Israeli-associated lipid tanker Mercer Street disconnected Oman, sidesplitting 2 radical onboard.

Iranian authorities media did not instantly admit the onslaught connected the Pacific Zircon. It wasn’t instantly wide wherever the vas was Wednesday. Satellite-tracking information from precocious Tuesday provided by MarineTraffic.com enactment the vas heavy successful the Arabian Sea aft leaving the Omani larboard of Sohar.

Since the illness of Iran’s atomic deal, nonproliferation experts pass the Islamic Republic present has capable enriched uranium to marque astatine slightest 1 atomic limb if it chose, though Tehran insists its programme is peaceful.

Iran besides has been lashing retired astatine its perceived enemies overseas amid monthslong nationwide protests present challenging its theocracy.

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Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Ilan Ben Zion successful Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Follow Jon Gambrell connected Twitter astatine www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.