BLAST ZONE
Shocking photos show ‘massive hole in Israeli oil tanker’ after ‘Iranian’ Kamikaze drone strike killed Brit vet
THESE are the shocking photos that supposedly show a “massive hole” in an Israeli tanker after it was allegedly hit by an Iranian drone strike which killed a British military veteran.
Pictures said to be of Israeli-owned stricken tanker the Mercer Street show the damage inflicted during a night raid said to have been carried out by Iran.
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One photo shows a massive hole in the deck of the ship while another reveals damage to the top of the vessel.
The pictures have not been officially verified.
The attack on the Mercer Street, which is linked to an Israeli billionaire, occurred off Oman in the Arabian Sea and a Brit military veteran was killed along with a Romanian crew member.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the night raid on the Liberian-flagged tanker.
Suspicion immediately fell on Iran, which has been linked to other attacks on tankers and has been engaged in a tit-for-tat shadow war with Israel in which each other’s ships have been targeted.
But the country's state media has come out directly and claimed responsibility, saying the attack was retaliation for an Israeli strike on Syria.
'GREEN LIGHT TO RESPOND'
The news comes as it was reported that both the UK and US have given the 'green light' to Tel Aviv to "respond" to the attack.
Israeli officials are currently in discussions over how and when to respond, with the possibility an Iranian port or military vessel could be targeted, according to newspaper reports.
Israel is also planning to share purported intelligence with other countries to “bring condemnation” on Iran, the report in the Israeli news outlet Kan claimed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that Iran must face up to the consequences of its “outrageous” attack.
“Iran should face up to the consequences of what they’ve done,” Johnson told reporters. “This was clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping.”
“A UK national died. It is absolutely vital that Iran and every other country, respects the freedoms of navigation around the world and the UK will continue to insist on that.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “The UK condemns the unlawful and callous attack committed on a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman, which killed a British and a Romanian National.
"Our thoughts are with the friends and family of those killed in the incident.
“We believe this attack was deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law by Iran.
“UK assessments have concluded that it is highly likely that Iran attacked the MV MERCER STREET in international waters off Oman on 29 July using one or more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
“Iran must end such attacks, and vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law.
“The UK is working with our international partners on a concerted response to this unacceptable attack.”
Later on the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was considering "next steps" with the UK.
'APPROPRIATE RESPONSE'
He warned that "an appropriate response is forthcoming - and according to the government already held an emergency Cobra meeting this weekend.
Romania has also pointed the finger at Iran.
The country’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said in a Twitter message on Monday: “Based on [the] available info, Romania strongly condemns [the] Iranian drone attack against the Mercer Street, during which a [Romanian] citizen was killed.
“There is no justification whatsoever for deliberately attacking civilians.”
Aurescu added that Romania will continue “to coordinate [with] our partners [for] an appropriate response."
UK deputy ambassador to Israel Mark Power said Israel will make its own decisions on whether to strike back at Iran after the attack on the Mercer Street.
“Israel, like many countries in the region is threatened and must make its own considerations,” Power said.
In the latest development the Iranian Ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign Office.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Iranian Ambassador to the UK, Mohsen Baharvand, was summoned today to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office by the Minister for the Middle East, James Cleverly, in response to the unlawful attack committed on MV Mercer Street on 29 July.
“Minister Cleverly reiterated that Iran must immediately cease actions that risk international peace and security, and reinforced that vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law.”
'LIST OF IRANIAN TARGETS'
Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida has reported that “the Israeli army has drawn up a list of Iranian targets to respond to the attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman.”
Iran strongly denied on Sunday any involvement in the attack, dismissing allegations levelled by Israeli regime officials.
The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the accusations “childish”, which he said were influenced by the Zionist lobby in the US.
“The illegitimate Zionist entity must stop levelling baseless charges against Iran. This is not the first time that this regime brings up such accusations [against Tehran],” he noted.
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“We must be very cautious not to fall into traps set by the Zionists and the Quds occupying regime in such cases,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Israeli regime is at “the lowest point of legitimacy” and experiencing the “most difficult days of its life.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has accused Tehran of "trying to shirk responsibility" for the attack.
“I declare unequivocally: Iran is the one that carried out the attack on the ship,” he said during a weekly meeting of his cabinet on Sunday.
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Ship tracker shows last known position of Israeli-managed tanker attacked off Oman
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