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Deadly drone attack on tanker escalates Iran-Israel maritime tensions - CNN
Jul 31, 2021 1 min, 20 secs
Two crewmembers, a Briton and a Romanian, died on Thursday when the Mercer Street tanker was attacked by an armed drone believed to be operated by Iran off the coast of Oman.

While Israel and the US are blaming Iran for the attack, Iranian state media has said the incident was in retaliation for an airstrike on a military airport in Syria that it accused Israel of being behind.

The Syrian regime is backed by Iranian forces.

The dead Briton was a member of the security personnel, the official said.

A US defense official familiar with the details of the incident said Friday that the tanker was attacked by an armed drone thought to be operated by Iran.

Another official said the US responded "to an emergency distress call of an apparent UAV style attack," and that the ship was escorted to port by the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and the USS Mitscher destroyer.

An official source at Oman's Maritime Security Center told Oman News Agency on Friday that the incident happened outside Omani waters, the agency said.

Oman sent jets and a Navy ship to the location of the attack, and Omani officials say they were told by the ship and its crew it would continue sailing without the need for assistance, the agency reported.

Deep concerns

This incident comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran and follows a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman in recent years, which the US has blamed on Iran.

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that the world needs to stand up to Iran after the incident.

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