On Friday, the Central Command of the US Army published a set of photos that it said showed that Iran had manufactured a drone-style “kamikaze”, and used it in the attack it was accused of carrying out against the oil tanker “Mercer Street” operated by Israel, off the coast of Oman, on Friday. July 30.
The Central Command said in a statement, on Friday, that the investigation team specialized in explosives working onboard the US aircraft carrier “USS Ronald Reagan” analyzed the wreckage of the drone that targeted the tanker, and concluded that it is “almost identical to previous models of Iran’s single attack drones.”
U.S. Central Command Statement on the Investigation into the Attack on the Motor Tanker Mercer Street, August 6th, 2021 @US5thFleethttps://t.co/Hy0TkNLKZ2 pic.twitter.com/jkx1YKP7Hp
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 6, 2021
The command added that “the use of unidirectional “Kamikaze” drones, designed and manufactured by Iran, has become an increasing trend in the region.”
The command confirmed that these drones are “actively used by Iran and its proxies against the coalition forces in the region, including targets in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”
The leadership pointed out that Iran carried out two failed attacks against the tanker, on July 29.
The Mercer Street tanker was subjected to a fatal attack while sailing in the Arabian Sea, as the tanker operated by an Israeli businessman was attacked by a drone, killing two of its sailors. The attack was followed days by a failed attempt to hijack the oil tanker “Asphalt Princess” off the coast of Fujairah, of which Iran was also accused.
According to the Central Command, “the explosion that followed the drone strike created a hole approximately 6 feet in diameter in the upper side of the captain’s residence and severely damaged the interior.”
Israel is seeking to hold a meeting of the UN Security Council on the attack on “Mercer Street”, which Israel and other Western countries accuse Iran of carrying out.
While Iran vehemently denies the accusations, the Israelis believe the ship was targeted because it was operated by a company owned by an Israeli businessman.
