Israel's Foreign Minister Discusses Mercer Street Attack With Blinken - State Department

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st August, 2021) Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid talked with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone on Saturday, discussing the attack on the Japanese-owned Mercer Street merchant vessel, US State Department spokesperson Ned price said.

"Secretary Blinken and FM Lapid discussed the attack on the Mercer Street, a commercial ship which was peacefully transiting through the north Arabian Sea. They agreed to work with the United Kingdom, Romania, and other international partners to investigate the facts, provide support, and consider the appropriate next steps," Price said in a Saturday statement.

On Friday, Zodiac Maritime operator said that the Mercer Street ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, adding that the suspected piracy incident left two crew members, citizens of Romania and the UK, dead. Later in the day, the company said that the crew took back control of the ship and the US Navy was escorting it. According to media reports, the vessel could have a connection to an Israeli billionaire.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday that there were no US citizens aboard the vessel at the time of the attack, which was likely carried out by a drone.

Lapid called his UK counterpart, Dominic Raab, on Friday to discuss the attack against the Mercer Street ship and called for action against Iran in relation to the incident.