Israel accused Iran of launching an attack that killed two crew members. Iran denies this accusation.

Tehran, Iran The Iranian government rejected Israel’s claim that it was behind the attack on a ship near Oman earlier this week that killed two crew members.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the allegations at a virtual press conference on Sunday, saying that this was not the first time Israel had made such allegations.

“No matter where this regime goes, it brings insecurity, terror and violence. The person in charge [for this attack] Those who allow the Israeli regime to set foot in the area,” he said.

“Whoever sows the wind will receive the storm,” Khatibzad said, adding that Iran will defend its national security when necessary.

The oil tanker Mercer Street flying the Liberian flag, managed by a company belonging to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was attacked late on Thursday in the northeastern part of Masira Island in Oman. It was apparent that a drone attack caused a Romanian and a The British national died.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, claimed that Iran was behind the attack, but they have yet to provide evidence.

After the attack, U.S. Navy ships escorted Mercer Street to a safe port.

Further updates on the situation on M/T Mercer Street: pic.twitter.com/1KiHCGYEoq

-Zodiac Maritime (@Zodiac_Maritime) July 30, 2021

Over the years, the enemies Iran and Israel have often accused each other of attacks on interests, ships and nuclear facilities. But as world powers try to save Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement, if the agreement succeeds, the United States will lift its severe sanctions on Iran, and their years of hostility has intensified in recent months.

The incident involving Mercer Street happened a few days before Ibrahim Raisi’s appointment as Iran’s eighth president on Thursday. The hard-line judge promised to work hard to restore the agreement, which was unilaterally abandoned by the United States in 2018, but the fate of the agreement is still unclear as several key issues remain unresolved.

Raisi will hold the seventh and possibly the last round of negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna shortly after taking office.

Observers expect Iran and the United States to disagree over which sanctions should be lifted, how they should be lifted, and how Tehran needs to scale back its nuclear program, which has significantly expanded since the United States abandoned the nuclear agreement.