An explosion hit an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, and Iran is now accused of conducting the attack as part of its recent pressure on European countries and the US.
The unexplained blast increased the global concerns about ship security in the region amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy, the crew and vessel were safe.
Israel’s Channel 13 said the assessment in Israel is that Iran was behind the blast, but it didn’t provide evidence for the claim.
The incident recalled the summer of 2019, when the same site saw a series of suspected attacks that the US Navy blamed on Iran.
The blast comes as Iran is seeking to pressure Joe Biden to grant the sanctions relief it received under the 2015 deal.
While the circumstances of the explosion remain unclear, the UK-based Dryad Global, which offers maritime analysis, said it was very possible the blast stemmed from “asymmetric activity by Iranian military.”
As Iran seeks to pressure the United States to lift sanctions, the country may seek “to exercise forceful diplomacy through military means,” Dryad reported
