DUBAI (AP) – An oil tanker associated with an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman amid heightened tensions with Iran, an official told The Associated Press (AP) yesterday.
The attack on the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon happened on Tuesday night off the coast of Oman, the Mideast-based defence official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they did not have authorisation to discuss the attack publicly.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military organisation in the region monitoring shipping, told the AP: “We are aware of an incident and it’s being investigated at this time.”
The Pacific Zircon is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
In a statement, Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon, carrying gas oil, had been “hit by a projectile” some 240 kilometres off the coast of Oman.
“We are in communication with the vessel and there is no reports of injuries or pollution. All crew are safe and accounted for,” the company said. “There is some minor damage to the vessel’s hull but no spillage of cargo or water ingress.”
A call to the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi rang unanswered. Israel’s prime minister office and its Defence Ministry declined to comment.
Oil prices rose slightly as news of the attack spread, with benchmark Brent crude trading above USD94 per barrel.
