NAccording to media reports, an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf was attacked by a drone. The ship is said to be linked to an Israeli billionaire, an official told the AP news agency on Wednesday.
The attack happened off the coast of Oman Tuesday night, said a Middle East-based Defense Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He was not authorized to discuss the attack publicly.
The ship was the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, according to the AP. The tanker is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, ultimately owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
Multiple attacks since 2021
According to vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, the vessel was last located on Tuesday evening when it was giving its position in the Gulf of Oman. Details and information about victims were not known.
The incident came at a time of escalating tensions between the West and Iran.
There are repeated attacks on ships in the region. Most recently, in July 2021, there was an attack on a tanker that cost the lives of two crew members. Several ships had been attacked in the previous months. Iran’s largest warship sank in June last year.
