Wall Street Journal: Israel attacks 12 ships carrying Iranian oil to Syria

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, March 11, that Israel has targeted at least 12 ships since late 2019, most of which were carrying Iranian oil to Syria.

The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, wrote that the attacks began in late 2019, and that Iranian ships, as well as other ships carrying Iranian oil and weapons cargoes, were attacked.

According to the report, the attacks took place in the Red Sea and elsewhere. A number of the ships that were attacked were also carrying Iranian weapons.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed American officials, said that the attacks on these tankers carrying Iranian oil did not sink the ships and that in two cases, the tankers were forced to return to Iran.

The report adds that Israel was trying to stop Iran's oil trade by taking action, as it believes that Iran is funding extremist groups in the region with revenues from oil sales.

According to the report, Iran, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been exporting weapons and oil to Syria in recent years, ignoring international sanctions.

The Wall Street Journal says Israeli officials have declined to comment on the report.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations has also not responded to The Wall Street Journal's question on this matter.

In October 2019, Iranian officials announced an attack on the oil tanker Sabiti in the Red Sea "by one or more states."

Officials in the Islamic Republic implicitly accused Saudi Arabia of playing a role in the attack, but the country's officials denied the claim.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said that the attack was carried out by at least two rockets.

He added: "Our tanker also has a camera, and it is clear from which direction the rockets come and how they hit. The rocket fragments have also been collected."

The Wall Street Journal says that Iranian ships falsely declare their destinations to evade international tracking and surveillance, or transfer oil cargoes at sea from one tanker to another, or transport their cargoes in older tankers that are undetectable.

As the news broke, Israeli Environment Minister Gila Gamliel said last week that Iran was responsible for "environmental terrorism" by causing the recent oil spill off Israel's coast.

The Israeli minister added that his country "has realized" that the tanker that caused a massive oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea waters off the coast of Israel had left from Iran.

Gila Gamliel also said that the tanker loaded its oil from Iran, set sail from the Persian Gulf, and on the night of February 4, after passing through the Suez Strait, it "turned off" its radar as it approached the Israeli coast, and after spilling oil, it turned its radar back on when it reached the Syrian coast.

On the other hand, Israel also accused Iran of being responsible for a mine or rocket attack on an Israeli car carrier in the Gulf of Oman, an accusation Iran has vehemently denied.

Source: Radio Farda