DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — After years of a shadow war between Iran and Israel, in which both sides use clandestine strikes against each other’s commercial and military ships, a British guard and a Romanian sailor have now been killed in a “suicide drone strike” on an oil tanker. Here are the details: <br /> <br /> <br />The Associated Press reports that the U.K. and U.S. joined Israel in saying Iran was behind an attack on an Israeli-operated oil tanker that killed two people, and have vowed to respond, calling it a violation of international law. <br /> <br /> <br />U.S. Navy explosive experts believe a drone strike hit the tanker off the coast of Oman, killing a British security guard and a Romanian ship worker. <br /> <br /> <br />The strike hit the bridge of the tanker Mercer Street on the night of Thursday, July 29. <br /> <br /> <br />It marks the first-known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran. <br /> <br /> <br />While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Israeli officials alleged Tehran launched the drone strike against a ship that was being operated by an Israeli company. <br /> <br /> <br />Iran denied the allegations and said Israel killed the ship workers in a false-flag attack designed to show Iran in a bad light. <br /> <br /> <br />The attack comes after years of tit-for-tat attacks in which Israel and Iran use clandestine methods to attack each other’s commercial and military ships, using limpet mines, drones and other methods to cause damage. <br /> <br /> <br />A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the attack appeared to have involved several drones, including a so-called “suicide drone,” which was presumably responsible for pressing home the attack itself. <br /> <br /> <br />
