On Thursday, two oil tankers were severely damaged by explosions in the Gulf of Oman, requiring the rescue of several crew members. It was initially unclear who attacked the Japanese and Norwegian ships, with initial unconfirmed reports citing possible torpedo strikes.
Despite the frenzy and uncertainty from the American public, the Trump administration seemed to have an immediate suspect, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting:
“It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for today's attacks in the Gulf of Oman. These attacks are a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran.”
It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for today's attacks in the Gulf of Oman. These attacks are a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran. pic.twitter.com/cbLrWNU5S0
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 13, 2019
And, after U.S. Central Command released video footage of alleged Iranian ships removing what are thought to be unexploded limpet mines from the tankers, the world’s eyes are squarely on the Iranian regime.
Though the Iranians deny the current allegations by the U.S. government, President Trump directly blamed them for the attacks on Fox this morning.
“Iran did do it and you know they did it because you saw the boat...” the President said, continuing, “They're a nation of terror and they've changed a lot since I've been president, I can tell you.”
Though the U.S. government seems sure that Iran did the deed, Yutaka Katada, owner of the Japanese oil tanker, is contradicting U.S. reports on how the attack happened, saying in an interview with the Financial Times, “It seems that something flew towards them that created the hole, is the report I’ve received… It seems there was a high chance they were attacked by a flying object." Katada added, "The impact was well above the water. I don’t think it was a torpedo.”
While the Iranians continue to vehemently deny any involvement in the attack, only time will tell how the U.S. will respond, and if force will be used.