by Tobias Siegal
The ship – Helios Ray – usually used as a vehicle carrier, was sailing to Singapore from Saudi Arabia when the explosion occurred.
Iran is the main suspect behind the attack overnight Thursday on an
Israeli-owned cargo vessel that was damaged by a mysterious explosion
in the Gulf of Oman, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Saturday.
“We
will need to keep investigating, but we can say for sure that Iran is
attempting to damage Israeli infrastructure and to hurt Israeli
citizens,” Gantz told KAN. He noted that the ship’s proximity to Iran
during the incident has strengthened the suspicions against Tehran.
The ship – Helios Ray – usually used as a vehicle carrier,
was sailing to Singapore from Saudi Arabia when the explosion occurred.
It was then diverted to a port in Dubai to assess the damage.
The ship’s company was reportedly in good condition and there were no known injuries. It continued under its own power to Dubai.
Several
assessments have pointed to possible causes for the explosion.
According to early estimations made by the United Kingdom Marine Trade
Operations (UKMTO), the explosion was most likely the result of a
maritime mine being triggered.
However,
a US defense official later told Reuters that the ship was hit by a
blast above the water line that ripped holes in both sides of its hull.
If correct, this would mean that it is highly unlikely that the damage
was caused by an anti-ship mine.
UKMTO
noted that initially, it was not ruling out any option and had issued a
warning to nearby vessels, advising them to stay away from the area
until the incident is clarified.
Officials
from the security firm Dryad that was securing the area have also said
that they are examining the possibility that the Iranian military was
involved.
“Whilst
details regarding the incident remain unclear, it remains a realistic
possibility that the event was the result of asymmetric activity by
Iranian military,” Dryad said in a report.
In
an interview to Ynet, Rami Ongar, the Israeli businessman who owns
Helios Ray, said he did not believe that the explosion was the result of
an intentional attack, but he noted that the ship has holes in it,
which may indicate damage caused by missiles.
Ongar said it was possible that if the explosion had been the result of an Iranian attack, it might have been a signal to the Biden administration.
On Saturday, N12 reported that a delegation of representatives from
Israel’s defense industries that was meant to travel to an
international exhibition in Abu Dhabi did not receive approval to travel
due to Iranian threats in the region. This differed from an earlier
reason given for the Israeli no-show due to health concerns, and fears
that the delegation might import coronavirus mutations upon their return
home.
The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said it was aware of the incident and was monitoring the situation.
Tensions
have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reimposed
sanctions on Iran in 2018 after then-president Donald Trump withdrew
America from the Islamic Republic’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
Washington
has blamed Tehran for a number of attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf
waters, including on four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, in
May 2019. Iran distanced itself from those attacks.
In
early January, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a South
Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew amid tensions
between Tehran
and US ally Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South
Korean banks due to the US sanctions.
In
2018, 21 million barrels per day of oil flowed through the Gulf’s
Strait of Hormuz, equivalent to about 21% of global petroleum liquids
demand at the time, according to the US Energy Information
Administration.
Tobias Siegal
Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/israeli-cargo-ship-damaged-after-mysterious-explosion-rattles-oman-gulf-660332
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