The Pacific Zircon is managed by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping but is owned by Israeli millionaire Idan Ofer.
An Israeli billionaire’s oil tanker was attacked by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman, according to an official.
The vessel, which is owned by Idan Ofer and operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, was targeted on Tuesday night, according to a Middle Eastern defense source.
The operator stated it was investigating after its ship was struck by a projectile.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military organization that monitors ships in the region, stated that it was “aware of an incident” that was “under investigation.
The vessel was named the Pacific Zircon.
The vessel was transporting gas oil, according to Eastern Pacific Shipping, and only minor hull damage was observed, along with no spillage of the cargo or injuries among the crew.
Monday morning, according to the ship-tracking website MarineTraffic, it was last sighted off the coast of Liwa, Oman.
Monday afternoon, it departed from Sohar bound for Buenos Aires. Deep in the Arabian Sea, approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the coast of Oman when it was attacked, according to Eastern Pacific Shipping.
escalating tensions with Iran
The attack occurs during a period of heightened tensions with Iran and just before the World Cup in Qatar.
No one has claimed credit for the incident, although Iran and Israel have been at war for years as part of broader regional tensions.
Reportedly, it has also supplied Russia with drones for use in its conflict against Ukraine.
In 2019, the United States attributed a series of assaults off the coast of the United Arab Emirates to Iran.
After the United States unilaterally withdrew from its nuclear agreement with international powers, Tehran escalated its nuclear project.
The Iranian state media has remained silent.
