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SAS specialists and Special Boat Service commandos arrived in the Midle East at the weekend where a British security man and a Romanian crew member were killed on an Israeli-operated tanker
Image: via REUTERS)
British commanders are drawing up plans for a UK special forces strike mission against an Iran-backed terror team which attacked an Israeli-operated tanker.
Iran’s drone assault on the MV Mercer Street left a British security man and a Romanian crew member dead, sparking fears of a Middle East escalation.
It followed months of heightened maritime attacks between Israel and Iran-backed militia, who are using highly-sophisticated and deadly unmanned planes.
The latest attack in the Arabian Sea involved a large explosives-laden drone flying hundreds of miles from land and controlled by a camera feed.
The British government and America are backing Israel in blaming Iran and are preparing for a military strike against Tehran’s Middle East militia.
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Israeli intelligence has pinpointed the area where the drone team is believed to have launched the drone, which smashed into the ship’s bridge on Thursday.
The Mirror has been told where the terror team are being targeted in the Middle East, although we have agreed not to reveal details of the joint UK-US mission.
British special forces, including SAS specialists and Special Boat Service commandos are already in the region and have been reinforced for a strike mission.
A large team of British special forces and regular support troops arrived in the region at the weekend to bolster a team already there on training missions, teaching locals.
It is believed the “kill or capture” manhunt could involve several dozen members of Britain’s most elite special forces operators and members of the Paras.
Also among them are believed to be electronic warfare specialists equipped to listen in on communications and a UK forces unmanned aircraft team.
A former British military intelligence officer told the Daily Mirror: “This has reached tipping point where Iran’s actions can no longer be allowed to continue.
“British special forces have been concerned about hostage taking on the high -seas for some time but are clearly going to take a more aggressive posture against Iran’s proxies.”
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On Saturday the Daily Mirror revealed the so far unnamed British man killed was part of a three man UK security team guarding the ship which was hit off Oman’s coast.
One of the men, ex-UK military, warned by radio an attack was imminent after the drone approach was detected and a “Mayday” alert was sent out to all-shipping.
The tanker, was hit 152 nautical miles off the Omani port of Duqm, near the island of Masirah, where the Royal Navy has a logistics base.
It is also where the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to dock on her return trip to the UK from the Far East.
UK head of the armed forces General Sir Nick Carter held a meeting with his Israeli counterpart on Sunday.
On Monday UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Iran “must face up to the consequences” of its actions in the sternest possible suggestion of a UK retaliation.
He said: “Iran should face up to the consequences of what they have done and accept the attribution that the Foreign Secretary has made.
“This is clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping – a UK national died.”
His warning came hours after the Iranian ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign Office in London for a dressing down over the attack.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:”Tbe UK condemns and the unlawful and callous attack committed on a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman which killed a British and a Romanian national.
“We believe this attack was deliberate, targeted and a clear violation of international law by Iran.
“Our thoughts are with the friends and family of those killed.”
Operated by London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, the ship was heading from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates – a port regularly used by UK nuclear submarines to carry out crew changes.
A forensics team is set to examine the stricken ship to pinpoint the weapons used and search for a signature or clue, linking it to the suspects.
A senior military source said : “We understand that Iran used their militia fighters to test a new drone, with deadly consequences and which clearly is a threat to all shipping.
“The UK has a large merchant fleet operating in the these waters and the Royal Navy has two bases – protecting UK interests is paramount.”
“The attack as we understand was launched from a certain place which would indicate that the drone travelled in excess of 400 miles to get to its target around the island of Masirah before an operator mounted the attack.”
British troops will join forces with a US special operations force who have been in the area assisting in the training of local troops.
The top secret UK mission will send a clear message to Iran that the UK will not tolerate attacks against shipping in international waters and follows In a statement by the Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid who said he was in constant contact with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, and “noted to him the need to respond severely to the attack.”
He said : “Iran is not just an Israeli problem, but an exporter of terrorism, destruction and instability that affects the whole world.
“We can never remain silent in the face of Iranian terrorism, which also harms freedom of navigation.”
A British MoD spokesman said: “We do not comment on matters relating to special forces.”