Not surprisingly, the U.S. and the U.K., joined by Romania, have jumped aboard with Israel in blaming the attack on the Mercer Street tanker on Iran which killed a British and Romanian national. “Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack….
“There is no justification for this attack, which follows a pattern of attacks and other belligerent behavior. These actions threaten freedom of navigation through this crucial waterway, international shipping and commerce, and the lives of those on the vessels involved,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an Aug. 1 statement.
“We are working with our partners to consider our next steps and consulting with governments inside the region and beyond on an appropriate response, which will be forthcoming,” the statement concluded without indicating what the nature of that response might be.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab issued a similar statement. “We believe this attack was deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law by Iran. U.K. assessments have concluded that it is highly likely that Iran attacked the MV Mercer Street in international waters off Oman on 29 July using one or more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” he said. “Iran must end such attacks, and vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law.”
Raab also promised a response: “The U.K. is working with our international partners on a concerted response to this unacceptable attack.”
The Israelis are even more certain that Iran was behind the attack. “I determine, with absolute certainty: Iran carried out the attack against the ship,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated at the start of a cabinet meeting, reported the Jerusalem Post. “The intelligence evidence for this exists, and we expect the international community will make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake.
“In any case, we know how to send a message to Iran in our own way. Iran’s thuggishness endangers not only Israel, but also harms global interests, namely freedom of navigation and international trade.”
While a kinetic response targeting Iran is being hinted at, the diplomatic warfare is well underway, already. In London, Bucharest and Tehran, ambassadors were summoned and admonished today, with the British and Romanian Foreign Ministries calling in the Iranian ambassadors to condemn the attack and demand that Iran stop doing such things, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry called in the British and Romanian envoys in Tehran to reject the accusations against Iran leveled by those governments. “This is not the first time that the U.K. has leveled hasty accusations without evidence against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” an official of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. “The country has previously accused Iran of certain moves, which were never proved and no evidence has been ever provided to substantiate them.”
As far as retaliatory action might go, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces, spoke with British Chief of General Staff Gen. Sir Nick Carter on Aug. 1. “The two discussed recent events in the region and common challenges faced by both countries,” the Israeli military said in a statement. The Times of Israel further writes that Israel has reportedly received a “green light” from the U.S. and U.K. to respond against Iran, according to a report by the Kuwaiti Al-Jarida paper cited by Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
The Kuwaiti report, citing anonymous Western intelligence sources, said Israel could target an Iranian port, an Iranian vessel at sea, or more specifically, the ship from which the July 26 deadly drone attack was launched (though where the drones were launched from has reportedly not yet been determined). There has been no information from Israeli or American officials regarding the specific source of the attack, ship or otherwise, reported the Times of Israel.
