Last Friday, two crew members died when a tanker connected to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer was attacked off the coast of Oman. According to the ship’s management, the individuals killed in the attack were of British and Romanian nationality. The company reported that it suspected the incident onboard the Mercer Street Tanker was linked to piracy. The ship was allegedly attacked by an armed drone that is believed to be operated by Iranian forces. US forces responded to an emergency distress call of an apparent UAV-style attack on Thursday. The ship was then escorted to port by the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and the USS Mitscher destroyer.
Navy personnel ensured that there was no additional danger following the escort. The ship’s crew reported an unsuccessful drone attack earlier in the day, however, the drone fell into the water. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. The Mercer Street was in the northern Indian Ocean at the time of the incident, according to US officials, and was traveling from Dar es Salaam to Fujairah in the UAE. There was no cargo on the ship, says its management firm. The ship was donning a Liberian flag at the time of the attack.
Read More: UK and Romanian crew killed in attack on tanker linked to Israeli billionaire off coast of Oman
