Tehran dismisses Israel’s claims about Iran’s role in attack on Mercer Street tanker

Tehran [Iran] August 1 (ANI/Sputnik): Iran denies having any role in the recent attack on the Japanese-owned Mercer Street oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Sunday, dismissing Israel’s allegations. Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated there was intelligence indicating that Iran was involved in the attack.

“There are no grounds for rumours about Iran’s role in the attack on the tanker in the Gulf of Oman,” Khatibzadeh told a press conference. On Friday, Zodiac Maritime operator said that the Japanese-owned ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, adding that the suspected piracy incident left two crew members, citizens of Romania and the UK, dead. Later in the day, the company said that the crew took back control of the ship and the US navy was escorting it. The vessel could reportedly be related to an Israeli billionaire.

The US Central Command said that the attack was likely to have been carried out by a drone. (ANI/Sputnik)