Oil Tanker Hit by Armed Drone off Oman Coast

Facts

• A Middle East-based defense official said on Wednesday on condition of anonymity that an oil tanker associated with Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer was struck on Tuesday night by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman.
• The Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping firm, which was operating the Liberia-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, stated it had been “hit by a projectile” some 150 miles off the coast of Oman, causing "some minor damage to the vessel's hull" but "no reports of injuries or pollution."
• The oil tanker's location was not immediately clear on Wednesday. Satellite data from Tuesday provided by MarineTraffic.com showed the vessel in the Arabian Sea after departing Oman's port of Sohar.
• Israeli officials have accused Iran of being behind this attack, describing it as "an Iranian provocation in the Gulf" ahead of the soccer World Cup in Qatar. The weapon and the target appear to fit a pattern of attacks historically linked to Tehran.
• Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council-affiliated media outlet, Nour News, blamed Israel and its Gulf allies — claiming they targeted the ship to raise tensions and distract Iran and Qatar with "marginal events."
• Recent years have seen increased tensions between Tehran and the US, as well as Israel. In 2021, a suspected Iranian drone strike hit the Israeli-associated oil tanker MV Mercer Street off the coast of Oman, killing two people.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Abc, CNN, Jerusalem Post, and Rfi.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Times of Israel. This is a classic Iranian tactic: attack a ship using drones then deny responsibility. This is how the Islamic Republic operates and why the US and Israel must act aggressively. The mullahs in Tehran only understand the language of decisive action — Israel must be prepared to respond to provocations.
• Narrative B, as provided by Tasnim. Tehran anticipated that Israel and its Arab allies would conduct malicious actions during the World Cup. This attack was about media hype and defaming Iran. Israel is facing problems forming a cabinet — this incident is a geopolitical distraction.