Israel Reports oil Tanker Attack by Iran
2023.02.19 06:49
Israel Reports oil Tanker Attack by Iran
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the attack on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf to Iran.
According to a text message, Netanyahu told ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting that the incident “harms freedom of international shipping.”
A Liberian-flagged ship operated by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime Ltd. was attacked by Iranian drones on Feb. 10, but the ship continued its journey and its crew remained unharmed, according to a BBC Farsi report on Friday.
The Greek shipping services company Eletson has confirmed a situation involving a vessel it manages. According to the company, the Campo Square was struck by an airborne object in the Arabian Sea, 300 nautical miles off the Indian and Omani coasts.
The e-mailed statement stated, “We can confirm that both the vessel and crew are safe.” The vessel has suffered only light damage.
The initial Israeli response to the BBC report was Netanyahu’s mention of the incident. Iran and Israel traded numerous accusations of shipping attacks in the Persian Gulf in 2021. Friday’s report was the first in months and may point to a new uptick in tension.
The leader of Israel also stated that on February 18, Iran attacked a American base in Syria. Early on Sunday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that Israel launched missile attacks on Damascus’ residential areas, killing five people, including a Syrian soldier.
