Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/JERUSALEM: A regional defence source said that at least one Israeli-owned vessel was attacked in the Arabian Sea on February 10, in an assault Iran assumed to have carried out.
The source said that drones were likely used and that there were no reports of casualties.
Iran has no immediate comment, which has rejected accusations it was behind similar incidents in the past few years.
Attacked in Arabian Sea
The attack came during tussle between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear activity and its supply of arms, including long-range “suicide drones” for Russia’s war in Ukraine and months of anti-government demonstrations at home.
British maritime security Ambrey Intelligence said unmanned aerial systems had attacked two tankers and one bulk carrier in the Arabian Sea and assessed that Tehran had mounted the attack. It said two of the merchant’s vessels were Israeli-owned, and one was Emirati.
Iran blamed Israel for a January 29 drone attack on an army site in the central city of Isfahan, vowing revenge for what appeared to be the fresh episode in a long-running covert war.
Many nuclear sites are located in Isfahan province, including Natanz, the centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which Iran accuses Israel of sabotaging in 2021. In recent years, many explosions and fires have occurred around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial sites.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Iran was expanding its advanced weapons proliferation beyond the region despite an embargo, including talks to sell drones and precision-guided munitions to 50 countries.
