Updated 9.40am with Iranian denial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused arch-foe Iran on Monday of a recent attack on an Israeli-owned ship, saying his country was "striking back".
"It is indeed an Iranian act, that's clear," he told public broadcaster Kan, referring to the MV Helios Raya vehicle carrier, which was last week hit by a blast in the Gulf of Oman leaving two holes in its side.
"Iran is Israel's greatest enemy, I'm determined to block it, we're striking at it throughout the region," he said.
Iran strongly rejected Netanyahu's accusation.
"We strongly deny this accusation," spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a press conference, adding that "the source of this accusation itself shows how invalid (the claim) is."
The ship was sailing from Saudi Arabia to Singapore when it was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman, maritime security groups and the owner said Friday.
The MV Helios Ray vehicle carrier is owned by HELIOS Ltd, an Israeli company registered in the Isle of Man.
The owner of the vessel, Israeli businessman Rami Ungar, confirmed the blast in statements to Israel's Kan state television and said it caused some damage.
"The damage is two holes about a meter and a half (five feet) in diameter," he said, without elaborating, according to Kan.
"But it is not yet clear to us whether it was caused by missile fire or mines attached to the ship," he added.
"We have no idea if this is an incident that is part of the tensions between Iran and the United States and if it has to do with the fact that the owner of the ship is Israeli."
Ungar said there were no casualties among the crew and no damage to the engine.
The Israeli state broadcaster said the vessel was transporting cars from Dammam to Singapore when the blast occurred.
It suggested Iran could be behind the blast, noting the incident comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and the Islamic republic.
"Whilst details regarding the incident remain unclear, it remains a realistic possibility that the event was the result of asymmetric activity by Iranian military," it said.
"Tensions between Israel and Iran remain fraught, especially in light of increased signs of rapprochement between Iran and the Biden administration."
"Increasingly, Iran is also becoming fearful of improving relations between Israel and the Gulf states."