US denounces Iranian aggression in the region

Laurie Mylroie 2021/08/10 08:09

The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off the coast of Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, UAE. The UK navy warned of a “potential hijack” of another ship in the Gulf of Oman on Aug. 3. (Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP)

WASHINGTON, DC (Kurdistan 24) – On Monday, senior US officials from both the Defense and State Departments affirmed that Iran posed a danger to the region because of its aggressive behavior.

John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, was asked at a press briefing about Iranian threats to maritime navigation. He responded by confirming that specific threat, as well as “Iran’s increasingly aggressive and malign behavior throughout the region.”

“We obviously are watching, with great concern, Iran’s continued use of intimidation and aggression in the region,” Kirby said. In particular, he cited its “continued support for proxy militia, as well as proxy terrorist groups.”

Somewhat similarly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking in New York to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on maritime security, denounced the Iranian attack on the Israeli-managed Mercer Street, describing it as “a commercial ship that was peacefully transiting international waters in the North Arabian Sea.”

“Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this unjustified attack,” Blinken said, “which is part of a pattern of attacks and other provocative behavior.”

“It is on all of our nations to hold accountable those responsible,” he continued. “Failing to do so will only fuel their sense of impunity and embolden others.”

The Security Council met on Friday, at the UK’s request, in a closed door session to discuss the attack on the ship. However, the Council has not, so far, taken any action.

Also on Friday, US Central Command released new information about the assault on the Mercer Street. That information comes from the findings of “an expert explosive investigative team from the USS Ronald Reagan,” which boarded the ship and interviewed the crew, CENTCOM explained.

The team learned that there were actually two sets of strikes. The first occurred on July 29, when two explosive drones were launched at the Mercer Street. But they failed to hit the ship, instead striking the waters around it.

A second attack occurred the following day, July 30, and that strike proved lethal, killing two crew members: the Romanian captain and a British security guard.

“The use of Iranian designed and produced one way attack ‘kamikaze’ UAVs is a growing trend in the region,” CENTCOM said. “They are actively used by Iran and [its] proxies against coalition forces in the region, to include Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”

Indeed, such attacks began in mid-April, with an assault on the CIA hangar at Erbil Airport, and they have continued intermittently since.

In a separate statement, CENTCOM explained that the July 30 strike on the Mercer Street caused “extensive damage”—“a 6-foot diameter hole in the topside of the pilot house,” along with significant damage to the interior.

That strike was caused by a UAV “loaded with a military-grade explosive” called RDX, which, according to the naval investigative team, indicated “the UAV had been rigged to cause injury and destruction.”