Israeli premier blames Iran for tanker attack; Tehran denies

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel’s prime minister has directly blamed Iran for a drone attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman that killed two people. Tehran meanwhile has denied being involved in the assault. The comments Sunday by Premier Naftali Bennett and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh come after the strike Thursday night on the oil tanker Mercer Street. That assault marked the first-known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iran and its militia allies have used so-called “suicide” drones in attacks previously.