The attack occurred Tuesday night off the coast of Oman, the Middle East-based defense official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the attack publicly. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military agency in the region that monitors shipping, told the AP: “We are aware of one incident and it is currently being investigated.” The official identified the attacked vessel as the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon. This tanker is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is ultimately owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. In a statement, Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon, which was carrying gas oil, was “hit by a missile” about 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the coast of Oman. “We are in contact with the vessel and there are 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 cargo leakage or water ingress.” A call to the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi went unanswered. Israel’s prime minister’s office and defense ministry declined to comment. Although no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion immediately fell on Iran. Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a protracted shadow war in the wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-linked ships traveling in the region. The US also blamed Iran for a series of attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Tehran had then begun ramping up its nuclear program after the US unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with world powers. In 2021, a suspected Iranian drone strike hit the Israel-bound oil tanker Mercer Street off Oman, killing two people on board. Iran’s state media did not immediately acknowledge the attack on the Pacific Zircon. It was not immediately clear where the ship was Wednesday. Satellite tracking data late Tuesday provided by MarineTraffic.com put the vessel deep in the Arabian Sea after leaving the port of Sohar, Oman. After the collapse of the Iran nuclear deal, non-proliferation experts warn that the Islamic Republic now has enough enriched uranium to build at least one nuclear weapon if it so chooses, although Tehran insists its program is peaceful. Iran has also lashed out at its perceived enemies abroad amid months of nationwide protests now challenging its theocracy.
Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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