Iran FM spokesperson calls timing of Mercer Street attack 'noteworthy'

Tehran has once againdeniedany involvement in last week's deadly attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman.

On Friday, foreign ministers of the G7said that the attack against the Mercer Street tanker was perpetrated by Iran and that all available evidence proved it.

However, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that these accusations were "baseless".

Khatibzadeh went on to say that it was "noteworthy" that this incident was stage-set to take place days before the inauguration of Iran's newly elected president.

One British and one Romanian crewmember were reportedly killed in the suspected drone attack near the mouth of the Gulf, a key shipping route for oil.

Iranian armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state media that if Iran were to confront enemies, "we would declare it openly, so the recent storytelling by the enemies is a psychological operation."

"Contrary to the strategy of the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime (Israel), which aim to create insecurity ...and Iranophobia, Iran's strategy is to strengthen security in the Persian Gulf," Shekarchi added.

US military investigators believe the drone was made in Iran.This is based on a report by explosives experts from the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, which was deployed to assist the Mercer Street.

"The Americans say they recovered parts of Iranian drones from the water....but in which laboratory was this evidence identified as belonging to Iran?,"Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted Shekarchi.

"Preparing forged evidence is not a difficult task as the Zionists excel at preparing forged documents," Shekarchi said, suggesting Israel may have been behind the attack.

While Iran denies any involvement, nation-states like the United States, Britain, and others have condemned Tehran for the attack.

The United Kingdom also raised this issue, during a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

The deputy UN ambassador of Iranwhile rejecting the allegationsinsisted that the nationwill not relent in defending its interests. Waning against any retaliation, he added that"Iran will not hesitate to defend itself and secure its national interests."

(With inputs from agencies)