Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iran for an explosion aboard an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week, Reuters reported.
The vehicle-carrier MV Helios Ray was hit between Thursday night and Friday morning by a blast above the water line that a U.S official said ripped holes in both sides of its hull. An Israeli official said limpet mines were used.
“This was indeed an operation by Iran. That is clear,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Kan radio.
Asked if Israel would retaliate, he said: “You know my policy. Iran is Israel’s biggest enemy. I am determined to fend it off. We are striking at it all over the region.”
Iran denied involvement. “We strongly reject this accusation,” Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, told a news conference. “The security of the Persian Gulf is extremely important for Iran.”