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The tanker M / T Mercer Street in the port of Rotterdam (archive photo)
Photo: Hasenpusch / dpa
A Japanese ship has been attacked off the coast of Oman.
According to the British shipping company Zodiac Maritime, two members of the crew were killed.
There is a suspicion of piracy.
The attacked tanker named M / T Mercer Street was Japanese owned and managed by the UK-based company, the statement said.
The Zodiac Group is chaired by Israeli businessman Ejal Ofer.
According to the announcement, the tanker was en route from Tanzania to the Emirate of Fujairah and had no cargo on board.
The British Ministry of Defense said it was aware of reports of an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of Oman.
The local military is investigating the incident.
Many attacks on ships with Israeli connections
In the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman, ships with connections to Israeli business people have been attacked again and again in recent months.
At the beginning of July, a cargo ship was attacked that, according to media reports, was previously owned by Zodiac Maritime.
According to the Israeli daily »Haaretz«, Israel suspected at the time that Iran was behind the attack.
Similar incidents occurred in February and April, when Israel also accused Iran.
In April, an Iranian freighter was again slightly damaged in an explosion in the Red Sea.
According to reports in the New York Times, the attack originated in Israel.
Iran is enemies with Israel.
Israel, on the other hand, has meanwhile established diplomatic relations with the two Gulf countries, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
hej / dpa
