Israel Threatens Iran at Defense Minister Level

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has accused Iran of launching a deadly drone strike on an oil tanker from its territory last month, according to Reuters. "In our assessment, the UAV used in the attack on the Mercer Street tanker was launched from Iran and with encouragement from the Iranian leadership," Gantz told foreign diplomats during a briefing.

Earlier, Gantz had warned that Israel is prepared for military operations against Iran and called for international actions to stop "Iranian aggression." On Wednesday, Gantz reiterated those threats, stating that Israel "has means to act and will not hesitate to do so. I do not rule out the possibility that Israel will have to take measures to prevent a nuclear Iran in the future."

The Mercer Street oil tanker, which is operated by a company owned by an Israeli billionaire, was attacked by a drone on July 29 off the coast of Oman. The attack resulted in the deaths of two people, a British national and a Romanian citizen. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel have attributed the attack to Iran, although none of those countries have yet provided evidence or intelligence to support their claims. Iran denies any wrongdoing.