Iran condemns G7's accusation over attack on Mercer Street tanker, calls it 'baseless'

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson on August 7 strongly condemned a statement from the G7 countries which accused Tehran of involvement in last week’s attack on an oil tanker in the Arabian Sea. Iran rejected the “baseless” allegations and denied having any link to the July 29 attack on Mercer Street, an oil products tanker operated by Israeli-controlled Zodiac maritime. The Liberian-flagged Japanese-owned vessel was targeted whilst it was on its way from Tanzania to the United Arab Emirates.

On Saturday, Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Iran “strongly condemns” the baseless statement from the foreign ministers of G7 and the high representative of the European Union for a foreign policy that has levelled “groundless” accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Iranian news agency Tasnim, Khatibzadeh also said that it is “remarkable that such an anti-Iranian scenario was invented just a few days before the inauguration of the new Iranian president that was a display of democratic transition of power in the Islamic Republic”. 

Further, Khatibzadeh added that such groundless scenarios “fabricated” by the Zionist regime with the purpose of creating tensions have a series of “customers” that immediately accept “untrue and irrational” conclusions. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully committed to ensuring the security of the strategic waterway of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khatibzadeh said. He also went on to say that Iran is still ready for cooperation with the regional countries “in creating, establishing and guaranteeing the sustainability of collective security system in the region, and at the same time, it would not hesitate even a bit to defend its sovereign rights in this area”. 

G7 will continue to protect all shipping

His comments come after G7 countries alleged that Iran was threatening international peace and security and that all available evidence showed it was behind an attack on the Mercer Street tanker last week. The G7 countries had said that Iran’s behaviour, alongside its support to proxy forces and non-state armed actors, threatens international peace and security. They also went on to call on Iran to stop all activities inconsistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. 

The ministers called for vessels in the region to be able to “navigate freely in accordance with international law”. They also said that the G7 countries will continue to their utmost to protect all shipping, upon which the global economy depends so that it is able to operate freely and without being threatened by irresponsible and violent acts. It is worth mentioning that the ship is managed by a firm owned by an Israeli billionaire and Iran has already denied being involved. 

(Image: AP/Twitter)