Tensions between UK and Iran escalate after oil tanker attack that killed two in Arabian Sea
- Britain summoned Iran’s ambassador in response to Thursday’s drone strike on the MV Mercer Street, which killed a British national and a Romanian
- Iran’s foreign ministry denies involvement in the attack and said it would respond ‘promptly and strongly to any possible adventure’
Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after the United States, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman.
Tehran has denied any involvement in the suspected drone attack on Thursday in which two crew members – a Briton and a Romanian – were killed.
The United States and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their allies to respond to the attack on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the incident as “clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping”.
“Iran should face up to the consequences of what they’ve done,” Johnson told reporters on Monday.