East Pacific Shipping, a Singapore-based company, ultimately owned by Israeli tycoon ‘Idan Ofer’, operates Pacific Circon. The diesel-carrying Pacific Zircon was "hit by an artillery shell" about 150 miles off the coast of Oman, the East Pacific Shipyard said in a statement.

“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.”

While no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion immediately fell on Iran.

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.”

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command told the Wall Street Journal that Iran was behind the attack.

“This unmanned aerial vehicle attack against a civilian vessel in this critical maritime strait demonstrates, once again, the destabilizing nature of Iranian malign activity in the region,” Gen. Kurilla said.

Iran and Israel have been fighting a covert war in the Middle East for many years. Some drone attacks have targeted Israeli-affiliated vessels that are cruising the seas. As word of the attack spread, oil prices slightly increased, with benchmark Brent crude trading above $94 per barrel.

A call to the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi was not answered. Israel’s prime minister’s office and its defence ministry declined to comment. An Israeli official on the condition of anonymity stated that it appeared Iran carried out the attack with a Shahed-136 exploding drone. Iran is believed to have supposed these drones to Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

The strike occurred hours after the US Navy announced that it has found 70 tons of a missile fuel component hidden among bags of fertilizer abroad a ship to Yemen from Iran. This seizure potentially disrupted the Iranian-backed Houthis ballistic missile program.

In the meanwhile, Greece announced that Iran has freed two Greek oil tankers- Delta Poseidon and Prudent Warrior held since May after being seized in a helicopter-born raid by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for assisting the US in seizing oil from Iranian-flagged tanker Lana.

Image source: AP