Israel warns Iran of retaliation for attacking fuel tanker; garners support of the US and UK

Jerusalem/Washington/London: – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned that Israel exactly knows how to respond to Iran with suicide drones for attacking Israeli fuel tanker. The United States and the United Kingdom have also expressed support for Israel against Iran, which is threatening international maritime traffic. Iran has threatened equivalent retaliation against Israel.

For the past year and a half, there is an undeclared conflict between Israel and Iran in the international maritime sector. Israel and Iran have carried out covert attacks on each other’s cargo and fuel carriers, sailing in the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean. So far, there have been no casualties in these attacks. But tensions escalated last week when two crew members died in an attack on a Mercer Street fuel tanker heading for the Gulf from the coast of Oman.

A Japanese company owns this fuel tanker. The London-based Israeli company is responsible for the ship’s operations. But Israel took serious note of the attack, following the death of British and Romanian crew members, in a suicide drone strike on Mercer Street. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he had evidence that Iran had attacked the cargo ship.

‘Iran wants to target Israeli interests, and it did so by launching a Mercer Street attack. But the attack on the fuel tanker poses a threat to international interests, maritime freedom and international trade. After Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Bennett announced that Israel exactly knows how to respond to Iranian attacks.

The United States and the United Kingdom have criticized Iran for launching drone strikes on a fuel tanker off the coast of Oman. The United States has said it believes Iran carried out the attack. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken clarified that the United States is confident that Iran carried out this attack. Besides, the United States has drawn this conclusion base on the received information and there will be retaliation against Iran at the right time.’ UK Deputy Ambassador to Israel Mark Power said that Israel has every right to respond to this attack. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accused Iran of violating international maritime rules by targeting an Israeli fuel tanker.

Meanwhile, after Israel’s warning and support received from the United States and Britain, Iran threatened to retaliate strongly against any possible action against it. Iran has also said that it has nothing to do with the attack on Mercer Street. Iranian foreign ministry, on the other hand, blamed Israel for terrorism and instability in the region.