Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday 1er March that his country “Will hit” Iran “Everywhere in the region”, after accusing Tehran of being the cause of an explosion on board the freighter Helios-Ray, Israeli ship that flies the flag of the Bahamas.
“It is clear that this is an Iranian act. And as for my response, you know my policy. Iran is Israel’s greatest enemy and I am determined to stop it and we will strike it all over the region ”Netanyahu said in a radio interview after nighttime strikes attributed to Israel against pro-Iranian elements in neighboring Syria.
“Most importantly, Iran will not have nuclear weapons either with a deal or without a deal. That’s what I told my friend the president [américain Joe] Biden ‘, added the head of the Israeli government, currently campaigning for the legislative elections of March 23.
Cargo ship Helios-Ray, owned by HELIOS Ltd, arrived Sunday at Mina Rashid, port of the United Arab Emirates. The vehicle, which was carrying vehicles, was traveling between the Saudi city of Dammam and Singapore, when an explosion took place on Thursday (February 26th) in the northwest of the Sultanate of Oman, reports Dryad Global, a company specializing in maritime safety.
1/2 Israeli owned MV HELIOS RAY suffers explosion within the Gulf of #Oman. Vessel inbound Singapore from Dammam Sa… https://t.co/tvZq6E6ocH
Persistent tensions with Iran
The origin of the explosion, which caused damage but left no casualties, has not been specified. It is not clear whether “It was caused by missile fire or mines attached to the boat”, according to the owner. Dryad Global had suggested that Iran could be responsible for the explosion, with the incident occurring amid heightened tensions between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran, sworn enemies.
Iranian ultraconservative newspaper Kayhan also said on Sunday that the explosion was probably the result of “The axis of resistance”, made up of Iran and its close allies facing Israel in the Middle East. The Israeli boat “Probably fell into the trap of one of the branches of the Resistance axis”, wrote to the “one” Kayhan, considered the spokesperson for the ultra-conservative fringe of the Iranian political system. According to the newspaper, which quotes “Military experts”, the “Spy boat was collecting intelligence on the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea when it was targeted”. “The attacks and crimes of the Zionist regime in the region seem to have made it a legitimate target”, adds the Iranian daily.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Saturday that Iran could be responsible for the explosion, given the ” proximity “ with Iranian territory and “Context”. This explosion has come “Remind us that Iran is not only a nuclear threat, but it spreads terror and carries out terrorist acts and attacks civilian targets”, accused, Sunday, the head of the Israeli army, Aviv Kohavi.
On November 27, Iran blamed Israel for the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in Tehran.
