Iran has captured two Greek tankers in helicopter-launched attacks in the Persian Gulf amid a dramatic rise in tensions and violent incidents in the region.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces landed on tankers – one of which was called the “Smart Warrior” – by helicopter in what appeared to be revenge for the Greek government’s role in helping the United States capture an Iranian oil tanker. across the Mediterranean in action to impose sanctions earlier in the week.
As negotiations between the Great Powers and Iran are stalled for the resumption of the 2015 nuclear deal, there are growing signs that Tehran and its enemies are ready to resort to force to pursue their interests.
Iran’s defense ministry said on Wednesday of a “crash” at its high-security Parchin complex that killed an engineer and injured another. The New York Times reported on Friday that it was a quadcopter drone attack that matched Israeli operations against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. The report says the drone strike is aimed at a facility where Iran is developing its own drone technology.
According to the Times, Israel has also informed the United States that it is behind the murder of IRGC Colonel Sayad Hodai, who was shot dead by armed men on motorcycles as he got out of his car in front of his home in Tehran on Sunday. An unnamed intelligence official said Israel intended the assassination to serve as a warning to Tehran to stop attacking Israeli citizens abroad.
On Thursday, IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami said there would be an answer to the assassination. “Our enemies have to wait,” he said.
“Our reactions will be sharp and we will definitely make the enemy regret their actions,” Salami said, according to Press TV.
If confirmed, the attack on Parchin will culminate in a secret drone war between Iran and Israel. In February, Israel reportedly sent six quadcopters to strike an Iranian military drone production facility near the city of Kermanshah.
In retaliation, Iran has launched a missile strike on buildings in Iraq that it believes were used by Israeli intelligence to attack Kermanshah.
The capture of Greek tankers in the Persian Gulf was the first such action in several months in the Persian Gulf. The Greek foreign minister has complained to the Iranian ambassador to Athens about the “forcible capture of two Greek-flagged ships” in the Persian Gulf.
“These actions are in fact piracy,” the ministry said in a statement, calling for the immediate return of the ships and their crews.
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