Iran attacks ship owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer - report

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps launched a drone attack against a ship owned by an Israeli businessman in the Persian Gulf last Friday, BBC Persia reported.

The IRGC reportedly launched Shahad 136 suicide drones at a ship, the Campo Square, in the Gulf. The ship in question belonged to the British Zodiac Shipping Company, which is owned by businessman Eyal Ofer.

American military officials and other high-ranking military sources told BBC Farsi that several drones and vessels from Iran were used to attack the shipping vessel, Campo Square.

The tanker sails under the Liberian flag. The Campo Square is listed in public data banks as linked to Zodiac Shipping, which is owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, however the vessel is rented out to the Piraeus-based Greek shipping company Eletson.

Eletson confirmed the attack on the vessel in a statement: "Eletson confirms an incident involving our managed vessel, the Liberian flagged product tanker, CAMPO SQUARE. The vessel, free of cargo in ballast transit, was hit by an airborne object while in the Arabian Sea approximately 300 nautical miles off the coasts of India and Oman at about 2230 GMT on 10 February 2023. We can confirm that both the vessel and crew are safe and proceeding as per planned passage. There is minor damage to the vessel."

Persian Gulf security tensions

Security incidents and tensions reached new peaks in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea in 2018. Several oil tankers were attacked and seized, and were followed by other security incidents of a similar nature. The attacks were frequently carried out by Yemen’s Houthis, who are allied with Iran and has been held responsible.

In addition to military sources in the Middle East, American military forces stated that they believed the Shahad 136 drone was used in Friday evening’s attack. This weapon has been used in similar attacks in the region and have been reportedly used by Russia in the Ukraine war, BBC Farsi reported.

This drone has created widespread cause for concern about what else Iran’s military is up to.

BBC reported that the Campo Square oil tanker attack can be seen as a “sign of intensification of Iran’s threatening actions against shipping in the region.”

Recurring attacks against vessels

This attack on Campo Square is not the first of its kind. It is the second ship owned by Zodiac Shipping and Ofer to be attacked within the last two years.

Another tanker associated with the same business partner, the Mercer Street oil tanker, was attacked in the same area. Both American and Israeli officials have accused Iran of incitement of those attacks.

Iran reportedly denied responsibility for the fatal attack on the Mercer Street tanker.

Following the report of the attack against Campo Square, a Saudi news outlet reported that a similar attack had been carried out against a ship owned by the United Arab Emirates, in the same vicinity and at the same time.