US Condemns Iran for Drone Strike of Israeli Ship

by mcardinal

Michael Cardinal, FISM News

 

On Sunday Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed Iran for a drone attack on an Israeli tanker that killed two people, and said the US would decide upon an appropriate response.

The attack happened off the coast of Oman on Thursday in international waters as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to rise. Mercer Street, an Israeli managed ship, was attacked by a “suicide” drone that resulted in the deaths of a U.K. and Romanian crew member.  Following a distress signal from the Israeli tanker, the USS Ronald Reagan escorted the ship to safety. Explosive experts on board the ship confirmed that the blast was a result of a one-way explosive drone which has been a recent weapon of choice by Iran. This is the latest in a string of similar attacks that have been linked to Iran, but is the first one that turned deadly.

Blinken strongly condemned the attack in a statement saying, “Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack, which killed two innocent people, using one-way explosive UAVs, a lethal capability it is increasingly employing throughout the region.”  He then went on to say that the US would respond appropriately:

We are working with our partners to consider our next steps and consulting with governments inside the region and beyond on an appropriate response.”

Israel Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and UK Foreign Minster Dominic Raab joined Blinken in denouncing Iran for the attack. Raab called the attack on Mercer Street “deliberate, targeted, and unlawful.”

Lapid warned that the world needs to “put up a wall in a form – physical and security – against Iran”  and urged other countries to stand up against this “terrorist regime.” Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz also directed a threat towards Tehran say that “Israel has a variety of tools and options to defend its citizens, and we will settle the score with anyone who tries to harm us at the time and place and in the way that suits us and our security.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called the accusations “baseless” and said that they were “meant by Israel to divert attention from facts.” On Monday he also warned that Iran will respond “swiftly and promptly” to any threat to Iran’s “security and national interests.”

No comment has been made yet to what the “appropriate response” from the US will be for the terroristic attack.

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