Iran denies launching oil tanker attack that killed two

dubai: Iran has denied it launched the drone attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman that killed two people, even as Israel says Teheran carried out the assault amid heightened tensions in the region.

The denial by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh marked the first official comments on the attack from Teheran, which will see a new president inaugurated on Thursday.

It also came about an hour after Iran’s outgoing president acknowledged that his government at times

“did not tell part of the truth” to the public during his term.

The strike on the oil tanker Mercer Street marked the firstknown fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Israeli officials claimed Teheran launched the drone strike. Iran and its militia allies have used so-called “suicide” drones in attacks previously.

Yesterday, Khatibzadeh described

Israel’s allegation as “baseless” during a news conference.

“Such blame games are nothing new. Those who are responsible are the ones who made it possible for the Israeli regime to set its foot in this region,” he said.

“This is not strange. The wellknown anti-iran lobby in the US uses any opportunity to make... accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

The American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher were escorting the Mercer Street as it headed to a safe port, the US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet said in a statement early Saturday.

It said Navy explosive experts believe a drone attacked the vessel.

The drone attack blasted a hole through the top of the oil tanker’s bridge, where the captain and crew command the vessel, a US official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as an investigation into the attack is still ongoing.