IRGC drones hit Israeli-linked vessel in Persian Gulf—report

The strike targeted a Liberia-flagged vessel owned by a shipping company headed by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, causing minor damage and no casualties.

By JNS

An Israeli-linked oil tanker was recently attacked in the Persian Gulf by Iranian forces, BBC Persian reported on Friday.

The attack, which according to the report took place on February 10, targeted the Liberia-flagged Campo Square, whose owner is Zodiac Maritime, a shipping company led by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

The report noted that the incident involved “Shahed-136” suicide drones as well as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval vessels, based on briefings by U.S. military sources. These are the same unmanned aerial vehicles that have been used as kamikaze drones by Russia in Ukraine, having been provided by the Iranian regime in recent months.

There were no casualties from the attack, and the damage inflicted on the tanker was not substantial, according to the report.

This is not the first time a merchant vessel associated with Israeli figures has come under attack in the region. One such attack, near the coast of Oman in 2021, involved a missile fired by the IRGC and left two of the targeted ship’s crew dead.

The BBC report noted that the Feb. 10 attack could be seen as a “sign of intensification of Iran’s threatening actions against shipping in the region.”