After Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz claimed that military action may be needed to prevent Iran’s increasing attacks, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hussein Salami, inspected the military units deployed in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran The state of readiness for military bases along the southern coast.
The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that those “enemies threatening Iran” should know that Iran’s counterattack will be severe and extensive.
He also added that the “Zionist entity” should be aware of the seriousness of this threat and statement and reconsider it.
The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard confirmed that Iran’s missile systems, drones, navy and land forces are ready to take action at any time to strike any targets aimed at Iran’s security.
“Speech is not enough, it’s time to take action”
On the other hand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Israel stated that the person responsible for the attack on the Israeli ship last week was an Iranian named Said Alajani, and that Iran is only close to obtaining the fissile material needed to produce a nuclear bomb. About 10 weeks.
According to Israeli official media reports, this is the first time Benny Gantz has spoken publicly about what Israel thinks it will take Iran to build nuclear weapons. Israel is a nuclear-weapon state that is not under international supervision. Both Israel and Iran regard each other as the “number one enemy.”
According to a German news agency, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz emphasized on the 4th that military action may be needed to prevent Iran’s increasing attacks on the region. Just a few days ago, a drone attacked an oil tanker operated by an Israeli company in the waters off Oman and killed two people, but Iran denied responsibility for this.
Gantz stated that “it’s time to take action, speech alone is not enough,” he added, “it’s time to take diplomatic, economic and even military actions, otherwise the attack will continue.”
According to a Bloomberg report, Gantz’s statement was issued during a meeting between him and the ambassadors of member states of the UN Security Council. During this meeting, Gantz accused Syed Alajani, who was responsible for drone management in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, of being behind the attack in the Gulf region.
Gantz stated that Alajanni was the individual responsible for the “terrorist attack” that occurred in the waters off Oman. The UAV Command launched an attack on the “Mercer Street” tanker, while Said Alajani attacked the area. Responsible for planning and providing training and equipment during the event.
The United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom pledged to respond to the attacks, while Israel emphasized that it will retain the right to act independently.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Israeli media)Anglo-American coordination
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the United States will continue to coordinate with its partners on the next diplomatic measures to counter the Iranian threat.
The US State Department statement stated that US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken had a conversation with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on the issue of coordinating actions against Iran. The US State Department believes that Iran’s actions have undermined the freedom of shipping.
British Foreign Secretary Raab spoke with Brinken on the 4th and stated that the United Kingdom and the United States have unanimously condemned Iran’s attack on the “Mercer Street” tanker last week.
He also pointed out that the United Kingdom sent a letter to the President of the UN Security Council regarding the attack on the “Mercer Street” oil tanker in the waters off Oman and accused Iran of being behind the incident.
In a tweet posted on his Twitter account, Raab added that the UN Security Council should respond to Iran’s “disrespect for international law and destabilizing practices”.
Iran sends a letter to the International Maritime Organization
The Iranian ambassador to London, Mohsin Bahlund, wrote to the International Maritime Organization stating that Iran is committed to ensuring the safety of maritime shipping and that it is in the interests of Iran and the international community.
The Iranian ambassador also said that some countries have taken dangerous actions and held a biased position. He also added that these countries use threatening language against Iran, which is not in accordance with international law and will undermine the safety of maritime shipping.
What happened to the “Asphalt Princess”?
On the other hand, a British government source told the Times reporter that a group of Iranian militants hijacked the “Asphalt Princess” tanker on the evening of the 3rd and tried to drive it towards Iran. At the same time, Israel stated that it needs to take military action to prevent Iran’s increasing attacks in the region.
The source pointed out to the Times reporter that the crew of the “Asphalt Princess” tanker had malfunctioned the engine, which led to the failure of the attack.
A British government source added that the group of Iranian militants fled the tanker when US and Oman warships arrived for rescue.
He also explained that the team members left the tanker by boat and none of the crew on the target tanker was injured.
A crew member of the “Asphalt Princess” tanker confirmed in radio communications with the UAE Coast Guard that there were 5 to 6 armed men on board, and he also said that they were Iranians.
A crew member also said that it was impossible to determine the date of arrival at Sohar, the main port of Oman.
After an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman last week and two deaths, British Foreign Secretary Raab said earlier that the UN Security Council must respond to Iran.
The British Foreign Secretary accused Iran of destabilizing actions and stated that “the UN Security Council must respond to Iran’s destabilizing behavior and its disrespect for international law.”
The United Kingdom and other countries sent a letter to the Security Council on the 3rd, accusing Iran of undermining the safety of maritime navigation and launching attacks on ships operated by Israeli companies.
Questions about hijacking
The question that followed was, who hijacked the “Asphalt Princess” tanker on the 3rd and released it in the early morning of the 4th?
The British Navy said that the hijacker who boarded the “Asphalt Princess” tanker in the waters off Oman had left the tanker and the incident had ended.
The British Maritime Trade Organization announced that the hijacker had left the ship at about 2 am GMT. The incident has ended and the ship is currently in a safe state. According to the signal sent by the ship, it is currently sailing to Oman. On the way.
On the other hand, the Oman Maritime Security Center issued a statement about the “Asphalt Princess” tanker, which was hijacked off the coast of the UAE and released earlier.
The center stated in a statement that the Omani Air Force was dispatched to intervene near the location where the ship was hijacked.
The Omani Maritime Security Center stated that it had received information about the hijacking of an oil tanker named “Asphalt Princess”, which was flying the Panamanian flag. The center added that the Omani navy dispatched some ships to help ensure international shipping. Safety.
Flying the Panamanian flag and transporting petroleum derivatives such as asphalt
Western media quoted security sources and reported that troops believed to be backed by Iran hijacked a ship in the waters off the coast of the UAE on the 3rd.
Western reports claim that the “Asphalt Princess” tanker, flying the Panamanian flag and transporting petroleum derivatives such as asphalt, was hijacked while sailing from Horfakan, UAE to Sohar, Oman.
Reuters reported that three naval security sources were quoted as saying that troops believed to be backed by Iran had seized the ship.
This incident occurred at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest waterways in the world. Just a few days ago, an oil tanker connected to Israel was hit on the way to the UAE. When the attack came, the United States and its allies accused Iran of being behind the attack.
Said Khatibzad, spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the 3rd that “reporting of incidents in the Gulf and the wider region looks very suspicious.”
Khatibzad pointed out in a tweet, “In order to confirm our firm commitment to regional stability and maritime security, Iran stands ready to provide assistance in the event of any maritime accident.”
In recent incidents, the United States did not point the finger at Iran, but Ned Price, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said that “Iran’s hostile model is worrying”.
Price told reporters, “It is too early to judge this incident.”
Last week, a tanker operated by an Israeli company was attacked in the waters off Oman and killed two crew members, leading to an escalation of tensions in the area. The United States, Israel and the United Kingdom blamed it on Iran, but Iran denied responsibility for the attack.
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