Iran Denies Role In Tanker Attack, Says Seeks Gulf Security

Mercer Avenue, an Israeli-managed oil tanker that was attacked is seen off Fujairah Port in UAE

Dubai:

Iran on Saturday rejected as psychological warfare accusations that it was behind a lethal assault on a tanker off Oman’s coast, and stated Tehran sought to reinforce the safety of the strategic Gulf waterway.

Overseas ministers from the Group of Seven rich economies stated on Friday Iran was threatening worldwide peace and safety and that each one obtainable proof confirmed it was behind the assault on the Mercer Avenue tanker final week.

“If we have been to confront enemies…we’d declare it brazenly, so the current storytelling by the enemies is a psychological operation,” state media quoted Abolfazl Shekarchi, Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman, as saying.

The vessel was a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime.

Iranian Overseas Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh rejected the G7 assertion as “baseless”, state media stated.

“It’s noteworthy that this incident was stage-set to happen days earlier than the inauguration of Iran’s new president,” Khatibzadeh stated.

The suspected drone assault killed two crew members – a Briton and a Romanian – close to the mouth of the Gulf, a key oil transport route.

“Opposite to the technique of the US, Britain and the Zionist regime (Israel), which purpose to create insecurity …and Iranophobia, Iran’s technique is to strengthen safety within the Persian Gulf,” Shekarchi stated.

The U.S. navy stated explosives specialists from the Ronald Reagan plane service – which deployed to help the Mercer Avenue – concluded the drone was produced in Iran.

However Shekarchi stated: “The Individuals say they recovered elements of Iranian drones from the water….however through which laboratory was this proof recognized as belonging to Iran?,” the Iranian state information company IRNA reported.

“Getting ready cast proof isn’t a troublesome activity because the Zionists excel at getting ready cast paperwork,” Shekarchi stated, suggesting Israel might have been behind the assault.

Regardless of Iran’s denials, Britain, the US and others have criticised Tehran for the assault. Britain raised the problem at a closed-door assembly of the United Nations Safety Council.

Iran’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Zahra Ershadi rejected the accusations and warned in opposition to any retaliation: “Iran is not going to hesitate to defend itself and safe its nationwide pursuits.”

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