Iranian words and deeds raise the regional stakes
Image from video broadcast by Iranian Al-Alam TV, showing a Shahed-136 kamikaze UAV about to hit a test target in April 2021. (Photo: Al-Alam)
The US officially points the finger at Tehran after the 30 July UAV attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps continues to ratchet tensions with a grandiose new claim.
The deadly attack on the tanker MV Mercer Street in the Gulf of Oman on 30 July, which killed two people, has renewed attention on the risks posed to civilian shipping by Iranian UAVs.
Fingers were pointed at Iran after the attack, with Israeli sources telling Shephard that they believe a delta-wing Shahed-136 armed UAV was used to hit the bridge of Mercer Street.
Iranian involvement was noted by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in a presentation on 6 August.
Based on an investigation of debris from the UAV, CENTCOM concluded that the aircraft was produced in Iran —
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