Israeli Navy increases its vigilance in Red Sea after recent Iranian attack on civilian Israeli vessel
The Israeli Navy reportedly raised its alert level in the Red Sea after a civilian oil tanker linked to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer was attacked last week off the Oman coast.
The Israeli government is holding the Iranian regime responsible for the attack on the Campo Square vessel and expressed concern that Tehran is planning new attacks on Israeli-affiliated vessels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Iran in his Cabinet meeting last Sunday, warning that Tehran constituted a threat to international freedom of navigation.
“Last week Iran again attacked an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf and harmed the international freedom of navigation,” Netanyahu said.
It is not the first time Israeli vessels have come under attack in the Red Sea. In February 2021, the Israeli-owned cargo ship HELIOS RAY was damaged by a mysterious explosion in the Gulf of Oman.
Investigations later indicated that a drone or bomb had damaged the vessel. Netanyahu quickly blamed Iran for the attack.
“This was indeed an operation by Iran. That is clear,” he said at the time. “Iran is the greatest enemy of Israel, I am determined to halt it. We are hitting it in the entire region.”
Arab nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, are also concerned about potential attacks on their vessels by Iran. The Red Sea constitutes a crucial naval pathway for regional and international trade.
Iran, for its part, blames Israel for a recent drone attack on a weapons factory near the Iranian city of Isfahan. While Israel has not commented on the incident, U.S. officials said Israel was behind the attack.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
