Several sophisticated Iranian drones were used in a strike on Thursday night on an oil tanker operated by an Israeli-owned company, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing anonymous Israeli officials. A US official confirmed to The Times that multiple drones were involved in the attack.

“US Navy explosives experts are aboard to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and are prepared to support an investigation into the attack,” the US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet stated on Saturday. “Initial indications clearly point to a [drone]-style attack.”

The attack on the Liberian flagged Mercer Street ship, which occurred off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, killed two crew members, one British and one Romanian, in the first fatal maritime attack since 2019.

The Iranian TV network Al-Alam reported that the attack was in response to an Israeli strike in Syria last week that killed two “resistance fighters.”

Israel has transmitted intelligence information to the US and UK proving that Iran perpetrated the strike, Channel 12 News reported.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that he has been in contact with his UK counterpart Dominic Raab and has “noted the need to respond harshly to the attack.”

“Iran is not just an Israeli problem, but an exporter of terrorism, destruction and instability that harms us all,” Lapid said in a statement. “The world must not be silent in the face of Iranian terrorism that also impinges freedom of shipping.”

Israel is weighing a response to the strike. One Israeli official was quoted as saying that a response is inevitable and “the only question is how and when we’ll respond,” Walla reported.

The Mercer Street is operated by Zodiac Maritime, a UK-based company owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, but is owned by a Japanese company.

Earlier this month, the CSAV Tyndall ship, which was owned by Ofer until he sold it several months ago, was attacked while en route to the United Arab Emirates.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)