Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of attacking an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week, a mysterious explosion that further spiked security concerns in the region.
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"This was indeed an operation by Iran. That is clear," Netanyahu told Israel Radio.
The blast struck the Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray, a Bahamian-flagged vehicle cargo ship, as it was sailing out of the Middle East on its way to Singapore on Friday. The crew was unharmed, but the vessel sustained two holes on its port side and two on its starboard side just above the waterline, according to American defense officials.
The ship came to Dubai's port for repairs on Sunday, days after the blast that revived security concerns in Mideast waterways amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Asked if Israel would retaliate, Netanyahu said he was determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capacity, saying, "Iran is Israel's greatest enemy and I am determined to stop it.
"We are striking at it [Iran] all over the region," he added.
Israel Radio noted that the interview was prerecorded before Syria accused Israel of carrying out missile strikes around southern Damascus.
Israel did not confirm carrying out those strikes, but has previously said it was pursuing military actions against Iranian deployment within Syria and its delivery of weapons to Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon.
Tehran has not commented on the incident nor responded to earlier Israeli accusations that it might have been involved, but on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry officially denied any involvement in the incident.
"We strongly reject this accusation," Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, told reporters. "The security of the Persian Gulf is extremely important for Iran."
He further accused Netanyahu of using the charge that Iran seeks to develop nuclear weapons for "internal propaganda" and said the Israel prime minister was "suffering from an obsession with Iran."
Khatibzadeh further accused Netanyahu of "fear-mongering" and said that Israel was taking "suspicious actions in the region" against Iran in recent months to undermine the 2015 nuclear deal, without elaborating, and vowed Iran would respond.
"Israel knows very well that our response in the field of national security has always been fierce and accurate," he said.
Iran on Monday urged the US to recommit to the 2015 nuchal deal, saying that its procrastination on the matter was "a disgrace" and "a historic mistake."
In recent days, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi had both indicated they held Iran responsible for the attack on the vessel.
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