Iran establishing response equation to Israeli attacks: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
18 Feb 22:26

Israeli media says Iran has decided to attack Israeli ships in response to "Israel's" ground and naval attacks against Iran.

The Israeli-linked Mercer Street oil tanker off Cape Town, South Africa, Jan. 2, 2016 (AP)

Israeli media claimed that Iran is trying to stabilize the equation of response to the Israeli attacks, by attacking Israeli ships at sea.

Israeli Channel 12's news website considered that since the series of assassinations of senior Iranian scientists until the drone attack on the factory in Isfahan, Iran has been trying to avenge these operations.

But now, Tehran is trying to establish a response equation, but through a slightly different method, claiming that this is the fifth time that Iranian forces have attacked ships in connection with "Israel".

In the past, according to Channel 12, Tehran tried to attack ships that it knew were Israeli in response to attacks on Iranian ships that the world attributed to "Israel". However, the Iranians now decided to change the equation and attack Israeli ships in response to ground attacks.

Elsewhere, the website pointed to Mossad chief David Barnea's remarks last month, where he said that he had observed dangerous and threatening operations, some of which allegedly constitute a challenge from Iran.

IRGC reportedly targeted Israeli oil tanker in Gulf: Media reports

This comes after Israeli media on Friday cited reports as saying that Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly targeted last week an oil tanker, Campo Square, operating on behalf of Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Maritime shipping company.

The Israeli media quoted senior security sources as saying that the alleged attack is an Iranian attempt to retaliate against "Israel" for the activities attributed to it.

Israeli Channel 12's military affairs commentator claimed that the attack is part of the battle that the Iranians are leading against "Israel", adding that the Iranians are trying to attack and retaliate against "Israel", and this attack is an example of that.

In the same context, BBC Farsi cited a US military official and a high-ranking military source in the region as saying that several Iranian ships and drones were used in the attack on the tanker.

According to BBC Farsi, the Campo Square tanker sails under the flag of Liberia, but its associated shipping companies are based in the UK and Greece.

The report noted that the Campo Square attack is not the first of its kind, as the tanker is the third Ofer vessel to be reportedly attacked within the past two years.