© Reuters
DUBAI (Reuters) – The attack on a submarine off the coast of Oman on Tuesday was carried out by an Iranian-made drone, the US Central Command said in a statement, adding that a naval operation led by a British Royal Navy frigate responded. to the area.
An Israeli official accused Iran of attacking the Pacific Zircon, an Israeli-operated Eastern Pacific Shipping vessel. The company said there was minor damage to the vessel but no injuries or loss of natural gas cargo.
A White House official previously said the United States was “confident that Iran may have carried out” the strike using a drone. Iran’s Nournews newspaper, which is linked to the country’s main security agency, has blamed Israel for the attack.
The US Central Command said on Wednesday that the debris “reveals that it was a Shahed one-way plane” that hit the ship, noting that it was made in Iran.
“The unmanned aerial attack on a submarine in this critical sea lane is yet another indication of Iran’s malicious behavior in the region,” the Central Command said.
It said a multinational operation responded to the incident led by HMS Lancaster of the British Royal Navy. The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans and a US Navy coastal patrol and patrol vessel participated in the operation.
Tanker attacks in Gulf waters in recent years have come at a time of heightened tensions with Iran.
In July 2021, a suspected attack on the coast of Oman hit an oil tanker operated by an Israeli company. Iran has denied the accusations that it was responsible.
