LONDON: Israel has told the UK to “respond severely” after a British citizen was killed in a drone attack on a ship in the Arabian Gulf.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran for the attack which, US officials say, saw several drones laden with explosives flown into the Mercer Street tanker, one of which hit the crew’s living quarters.

The assault on the vessel, operated by Israeli-owned firm Zodiac Maritime, occurred off the coast of Oman on Friday, killing the Briton — who is thought to have been working as a security guard on board — and a Romanian citizen.

The UK government has yet to comment on who it believes is responsible for the attack, or to identify the deceased.

“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of a British national who has died following an incident on a tanker off the coast of Oman,” a UK government spokesman said.

“Vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law. We are working with our international partners to urgently establish the facts.”

Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated in recent months amid talks between Tehran and Western nations in Vienna to reignite the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

Israel is thought to be behind a series of strikes on Iran’s infrastructure relating to its uranium enrichment program.

Both sides are believed to have launched cyberattacks against each other and targeted their respective maritime links, including ships and ports.

“Iran is spreading violence and destruction in every corner of the region,” an Israeli official told the Daily Telegraph.

“Due to its enthusiasm for attacking an Israeli target, they have gotten themselves tangled up and have incriminated themselves by killing foreign citizens.”

Iranian news network Al-Alam claimed that the attack on the Mercer Street was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes in Syria on Iranian targets last week that killed two “resistance fighters.” Tehran, though, has yet to comment on Lapid’s accusation.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the US Foundation for Defense of Democracies said: “It would be no surprise to me that Iran would use a drone to carry out its tit-for-tat against Israel and maritime vessels. Iran has shown a gradual escalation in (the) maritime domain.”

He added: “This sort of tit-for-tat escalation is going to continue and Iran is likely to step up these attacks … to signal that it will not take any cyber sabotage against it lying down.”