Oil tanker owned by Israeli billionaire struck by drone off coast of Oman
An oil tanker owned by an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman.
The vessel, which is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping but owned by Idan Ofer, was attacked on Tuesday night, according to a defence official.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military organisation that monitors shipping in the region, said it was "aware of an incident", which is "being investigated".
The ship was identified as the Pacific Zircon.
According to the shipping tracking site MarineTraffic, it was last seen off the coast of Liwa, Oman on Monday morning.
It departed from Sohar on Monday afternoon destined for Buenos Aires.
Idan Ofer, Director of the Israel Corporation, in Geneva in 2013
Heightened tensions with Iran
The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions with Iran and ahead of the World Cup in nearby Qatar.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long war within wider tensions in the Middle East.
It has also reportedly provided Russia with drones to use in its war against Ukraine.
The US blamed Iran for a series of attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in 2019.
Tehran then started escalating its nuclear programme after the US unilaterally withdraw from its atomic deal with world powers.
Iranian state media has not commented.
An oil tanker owned by an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman.
The vessel, which is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping but owned by Idan Ofer, was attacked on Tuesday night, according to a defence official.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military organisation that monitors shipping in the region, said it was "aware of an incident", which is "being investigated".
The ship was identified as the Pacific Zircon.
According to the shipping tracking site MarineTraffic, it was last seen off the coast of Liwa, Oman on Monday morning.
It departed from Sohar on Monday afternoon destined for Buenos Aires.
Idan Ofer, Director of the Israel Corporation, in Geneva in 2013
Heightened tensions with Iran
The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions with Iran and ahead of the World Cup in nearby Qatar.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long war within wider tensions in the Middle East.
It has also reportedly provided Russia with drones to use in its war against Ukraine.
The US blamed Iran for a series of attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in 2019.
Tehran then started escalating its nuclear programme after the US unilaterally withdraw from its atomic deal with world powers.
Iranian state media has not commented.
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Summary
Oil tanker Pacific Zircon, owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, was struck by a drone off the coast of Oman. The incident happened on Tuesday night and is currently under investigation by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. The