A official told the Associated Press on Wednesday that an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire was attacked by a drone carrying bombs off the coast of Oman amid rising tensions with Iran.

The Middle East defense official also said the attack on the oil tanker flying the Liberian flag Pacific Zircon occurred Tuesday evening off the coast of Oman, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the attack publicly.

Also, the British Maritime Trade Organization, a British military organization in the region that monitors shipping, told the Associated Press: "We are aware of an incident and it is currently being investigated."

The Pacific Zircon is operated by Eastern Pacific Shipping, based in Singapore, a company owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, which said in a statement that the Pacific Zircon carrying gas oil "was hit by a shell" about 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the coast of Oman.

"We are in contact with the ship and there are no reports of injuries or pollution," the company said, adding: "All crew members are safe and accounted for, there is some minor damage to the ship's hull but no cargo spillage or water ingress." The Israeli Prime Minister's office and the Israeli Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Oil prices rose slightly as news of the attack spread, with Brent crude trading above $94 per barrel.

Also, while no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion immediately fell on Iran. Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war for years in the wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-linked ships traversing the region.

Also, the United States blamed Iran for a series of attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Then Tehran began escalating its nuclear program after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with world powers.

In 2021, a suspected Iranian drone strike hit an Israeli oil tanker in the Mercer Strait off Oman, killing two people on board. Iranian state media did not immediately acknowledge the attack on the Pacific Zircon. The ship’s location was not immediately clear on Wednesday. Satellite tracking data late Tuesday provided by MarineTraffic.com placed the ship in the depths of the Arabian Sea after leaving the Omani port of Sohar.

Since the collapse of the Iranian nuclear deal, nuclear nonproliferation experts warn that the Islamic Republic now has enough enriched uranium to make at least one nuclear weapon if it chooses, although Tehran insists its program is peaceful.