The US and Israel attribute the drone attack to the Islamic Republic and describe it as a "provocation" in the region ahead of the Qatar World Cup

Iran attacks an oil tanker off the coast of Oman

photo_camera PHOTO/BOB ADMAS - Israeli-affiliated Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon off the coast of Oman

Iran adds another destabilising attack in the Middle East. An Iranian self-destructive drone attacked the Israeli-affiliated Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon off the coast of Oman, one of the most important steps in the transport of crude oil, and it did so with a HESA Shahed 136 drone, the same type of drone that the Islamic Republic sends to Russia for the conflict in Ukraine.

Israel and the United States have used this information as the basis for their investigations to attribute the attack to Iran, which they accuse of once again destabilising the region. "It's not an attack on Israel, it's the same thing they usually do in the Gulf, trying to disrupt stability and influence mainly the World Cup events", said an Israeli official. "This attack demonstrates, once again, the destabilising nature of Iranian malign activity in the region", the US Central Command said in a statement.

The British Royal Navy was the first to come to the tanker's assistance after the attack, as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan acknowledged. "Tehran's actions further threaten freedom of navigation on this crucial waterway, shipping and international trade, and the lives of the people on the ships involved", Sullivan said. 

The attack did not cause any casualties, nor did the diesel oil it was carrying break loose, but the damage was enough to prompt US and UK maritime trade representatives to open an investigation to establish the facts and impose sanctions if necessary

While the Ayatollahs' regime has tended in recent years to engage in destabilising actions abroad, in recent weeks this has become common practice as an attempt to divert attention from its internal situation, which threatens to bring down the Islamist theocracy that rules the country. Protests over the death of Mahsa Amini continue, with 325 people dead, more than 2,000 arrested and controversial death threats against protesters.

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However, this is not the first time Iran has attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. On 30 July 2021, an armed drone attacked the Israeli vessel Mercer Street, killing two people, with the same aim of destabilising the region.

However, none of these attacks have been acknowledged by the Islamic Republic. The Iranian news agency Nournews has blamed Israel for being behind this latest attack as a move by the 'Hebrew-Arab axis', referring to the countries in the region that signed the Abraham Accords, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, to bolster security in the face of Iran's ambitions.

And it is not only these countries that are witnessing strained relations with the Persian country. Greece has also suffered from Iran's capture of two of its flag vessels, which were released in parallel to the attack on the Pacific Zircon after the resumption of bilateral relations between Tehran and Athens with an agreement to strengthen maritime security.

Nevertheless, tensions continue to rise in one of the most important oil transport routes, a factor that has a decisive influence on the stability of the oil market. With the attack on Pacific Zircon, the European benchmark Brent barrel fell by 1.4%, while the West Texas barrel fell by 2%. These figures are increasingly worrying in the face of rising geopolitical tensions in this maritime route in the Gulf of Oman in the search for alternatives to Russian energy.

Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra.

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