Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Berri: It is our fate every Eid al-Adha to offer sacrifices in defense of Lebanon and its sovereignty, and the aggression will not prevent us from celebrating our holidays
Berri: Our positions must be unifying for all Lebanese in confronting the Israeli aggressiveness, which does not target a specific sect or region, but rather all of Lebanon and the Lebanese, and even Arabs and Muslims in their holiest sanctities
Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri: Our position regarding the continuous Israeli violation of Lebanon is identical to and adopts the position of the President of the Republic in all national and sovereign dimensions
Israeli raids strike eight residential buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs; shelling reported in Ain Qana, southern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Another Israeli airstrike targets Beirut’s southern suburb
Saree: The operation comes in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and in response to the aggression against Beirut’s southern suburb
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson: The operation successfully achieved its objective, forcing millions of Israeli settlers to flee into shelters
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Yahya Saree: We targeted Lod Airport (Ben Gurion Airport) in the occupied Yafa area with a hypersonic ballistic missile, the “Palestine 2” type
Salam: We call on the international community to hold "Israel" accountable, halt its attacks, and ensure full withdrawal from Lebanese territory
Salam: These attacks constitute a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and UN Security Council Resolution 1701

MV Mercer Street Tanker: “Israel” at Its Wits' End

  • By Rasha Reslan
  • Source: Al Mayadeen
  • 3 Aug 2021 13:34
  • 9 Shares
5 Min Read

With world powers eyeing to revive the Iran nuclear deal, “Israel” is still doing its dirty work, exploiting the attack on MV Mercer Street Tanker to attain a long-term political goal.

  • x
  • MV Mercer Street Tanker: “Israel” does great harm when it’s so quick on the trigger
    MV Mercer Street Tanker: “Israel” does great harm when it’s so quick on the trigger

The MV Mercer Street oil tanker was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two, in what the United States called a drone-style attack. The tanker was heading from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates, with no cargo aboard when it was struck, according to Zodiac Maritime. 

Zodiac Maritime is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by the Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, whose enterprises include shipping, real estate, technology, banking, and investments. Ofer was ranked the world's 197th richest person by Forbes this year, with a fortune of $11.3 billion. His firms own and run over 160 ships. Zodiac originally called the attack on MV Mercer Street "a suspected piracy incident." On its part, maritime industry analyst “Dryad Global” said that the attack was similar to previous incidents, adding that "the loss of two personnel represents a significant escalation in events."

Rush to judgment

Israeli officials rushed to throw readymade and hasty accusations at Iran. Immediately after the attack, “Israel” allegedly claimed that the attack on the MV Mercer Street tanker “bore the hallmarks of an operation by Iran,” accusing it of deploying combat drones in the past. Iran firmly rejected the Israeli claim that it was behind the tanker attack off the Oman coast.

One thing is certain: “Israel” causes great harm when it’s so quick on the trigger. 

While “Israel” seeks an international investigation into the attack and for the United Nations Security Council to convene on the matter, no one else has blamed Iran for the attack on the ship, according to Israeli media reports. 

The US, however, which could not leave “Israel” alone in its stance on the attack, later joined in blaming Iran for the drone strike. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked surprising rhetoric from the Biden administration, particularly as the US is desperately seeking to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.

“Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack,” Blinken said. “We are working with our partners to consider our next steps and consulting with governments inside the region and beyond on an appropriate response, which will be forthcoming.”

“Israel” playing with fire

Israelis' senseless accusations and desperate actions mirror their internal confusion and dissatisfaction following the latest incident.

According to Walla news, “Israel” has been disappointed by the initial vague statements put out by the international community and had sought more forceful condemnations that would explicitly blame Iran.

Related News

A walk to school under Israeli occupation

Lives scarred by cluster bombs: Untold stories of tragedy, resilience

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he had ordered Israeli diplomats to push for UN action against Iran.

“I’ve instructed the embassies in Washington, London, and the UN to work with their interlocutors in government and the relevant delegations in the UN headquarters in New York,” Lapid said on Twitter.

For his part, Haaretz security analyst Yossi Melman said, “This is the fourth time that an Israeli-linked target has been attacked."

Melman added that “Israel is playing with fire,” explaining that “90% of Israeli goods pass through sea routes.”

After the attack on an Iranian ship last April, Israeli media had warned of the danger of naval war on “Israel," and the Israeli Channel 12 considered that “in a naval war with Iran, Israel will be in a weaker position.”

A former Israeli general in the Israeli navy warned against the continuation of the naval war, stressing that it “is not in Israel’s interest.”

In an interview with the newspaper Maariv, former Commander of the Israeli Navy, General Eliezer Marom, stressed the continuation of the naval battlefield, given “Israel’s dependence on maritime foreign trade extending from India to China, which negatively affects the Israeli economy.”   

Iran: “Israel” has hit rock bottom         

On its part, the Iranian government has denounced Israeli claims that it was behind the attack on the ship off the coast of Oman earlier this week, which killed two people.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the recent accusations leveled against Tehran by “Israel” and the US are “childish” and influenced by the Zionist lobby in the United States.

“The illegitimate Zionist entity must stop leveling baseless charges against Iran. This is not the first time that this regime brings up such accusations [against Tehran],” he added.

Khatibzadeh stressed that “this regime is at its lowest point and is experiencing the most difficult days of its life."

The Iranian Foreign Minister went on to say that it is unfortunate that foreign powers have remained silent in the face of several terrorist attacks on Iranian merchant ships in the Red Sea and international waters, but now they're attacking Iran with false accusations.

“Iran will never hesitate to defend its security and national interests, and will respond directly to any potential risky actions with full force and firmness”, he concluded.

In a nutshell, “Israel” is exerting strained efforts to halt any “new agreement” on Iran’s nuclear program, which will safeguard regional security and will also secure the vital interests of Iran and the United States.

What will happen in the short term remains obscure. Will “Israel” put a spoke in the wheels, preventing full restoration of the nuclear deal, leading to some further escalation? Or will the nuclear deal be sealed?

  • Naftali Bennett
  • MT Mercer Street Tanker
  • MV Mercer Street Tanker
  • Mercer street
  • Israel
  • Israeli navy
  • oil tanker
  • Sea of ​​Oman
  • world politics
  • attack on MV Mercer
  • Iran
  • Iran nuclear deal
  • US
  • Blinken
  • Saeed Khatibzadeh

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 4 Jun 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP)

Boston Consulting Group withdraws from GHF

  • Palestine
  • 3 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Poll
Palestine

Sharp decline in international perception of 'Israel', Netanyahu: Poll

Ukrainian soldiers with the anti-drone KVS G-6, manufactured by Kvertus Technology.Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Facebook
US & Canada

Shift in US priorities: Drone fuzes reallocated from Kiev to CENTCOM

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance
US & Canada

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance

Former US President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 30, 2024 (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
US & Canada

Trump orders investigation into Biden’s autopen use, cognitive fitness

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS