The Mercer Street, flagged in Liberia and operated by a company based in Israel, was attacked, sustaining damage to its bridge, killing its Romanian national captain and a British national bodyguard.[1] Initial Israeli assessment suggested that there were two attacks on the ship several hours apart, the second of which resulted in the fatalities.[2] The attack was preceded by two similar incidents that occurred in May and June 2019. U.S. Navy vessels responded and escorted the ship to a safe location. In a statement on 31 July 2021, the U.S. Navy 5th fleet said explosive experts believed a “drone strike” targeted the tanker, but the statement did not explain how that conclusion was determined.[3]