Diplomatic row over deadly attack on MV Mercer Street escalates as Iran warns it is ready to respond to any threat to its security.

The diplomatic fallout from a deadly attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman escalated on Monday, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson branding it “outrageous” as London summoned Iran’s ambassador over the incident.

A British national was one of the two crew members onboard the MV Mercer Street merchant vessel who were killed during Thursday’s incident. The other was a Romanian national.

The United Kingdom, the United States and Israel have all blamed Tehran for the attack on the vessel, which is operated by the London-based ship management company Zodiac Maritime owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

Iran has denied it was behind the attack.

James Cleverly, the UK’s minister for the Middle East, summoned Mohsen Baharvand.

“Minister Cleverly reiterated that Iran must immediately cease actions that risk international peace and security, and reinforced that vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law,” the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office said in a statement on Monday.

originally published on Aljazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/2/uk-summons-iranian-ambassador-over-oil-tanker-attack