EU Condemns Attack On Mercer Street Oil Tanker - Spokeswoman

The European Union denounces the recent attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and will continue monitoring the situation, Nabila Massrali, the EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, said on Tuesday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) The European Union denounces the recent attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and will continue monitoring the situation, Nabila Massrali, the EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, said on Tuesday.

"We condemn the attack on the oil tanker. This took place off the island of Masirah in Oman. A British citizen and a Romanian were killed and we would like to express our sympathy to their friends and family. The exact circumstances of this attack have to be clarified, and we take note of investigations carried out by the United States, the UK and Israel - this is an action that was against freedom of navigation in this area, and of course unacceptable," Massrali said at a briefing.

The EU opposes any actions detrimental to peace and stability in the region and will follow developments in the situation, the spokeswoman added.

NATO, Israel, and Canada also expressed condemnation of the attack and blamed it on Iran. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, has denied the allegations.

On July 29, the Japanese-owned vessel was allegedly attacked by Iran off the coast of Oman, resulting in the deaths of two crew members, citizens of Romania and the United Kingdom. According to media reports, the vessel could be tied to an Israeli billionaire.