U.S. blames Iran for tanker attacks in Gulf of Oman, Iran rejects assertion

Reuters ^ | June 13th, 2019 | Myriad

[Mariner]

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United States blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday that drove up oil prices and raised concerns about a new U.S.-Iranian confrontation, but Tehran bluntly denied the allegation.

It was not immediately clear what befell the Norwegian-owned Front Altair or the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which both experienced explosions, forcing crews to abandon ship and leave the vessels adrift in waters between Gulf Arab states and Iran.

One source said the blast on the Front Altair, which caught fire and sent a huge plume of smoke into the air, may have been caused by a magnetic mine. The firm that chartered the Kokuka Courageous tanker said it was hit by a suspected torpedo, but a person with knowledge of the matter said torpedoes were not used.

On Thursday night, U.S. Central Command spokesman Bill Urban released a video of what the U.S. military said was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp Gashti Class patrol boat approaching the Kokuka Courageous "and was observed and recorded removing (an) unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous."

[Mariner]

Posted so the Iran defenders can change their tune from "False Flag" to "it's not our business".

Well, in time that can can preserve some dignity.

[DoughtyOne]

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[Mariner]

We have video of one of their patrol boats removing an un-exploded mine from the hull.

How did they know it was there, and that it would not explode in their face?

[morphing libertarian]

........................... and nothing just like obama

[Mariner]

Ping.

They have video.

[Don W]

I literally *JUST* watched that video on Al Jazeera not five minutes ago!

[Innovative]

CNN has an article and the video:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/13/politics/us-images-iranian-boat-removing-mine/index.html

[elpadre]

The Iranian navy has more than a dozen mini-submarines designed and purposed for these type of attacks.

https://www.navytimes.com/flashpoints/2018/11/29/iran-adds-2-mini-submarines-to-naval-fleet/

[Mariner]

From the CNN article...

“multiple Iranian small boats have entered the area where the USS Bainbridge continues to be on the scene, prompting US Central Command to issue a statement saying, “No interference with USS Bainbridge, or its mission, will be tolerated.”

Iran caught red handed.

Now they’ll probably shoot at US assets.

[Paladin2]

Iran did not offer assistance?

[Mariner]

“Iran did not offer assistance?”

Yes. They removed their mine from the hull of one of the ships.

Assistance lol

[Telepathic Intruder]

"Posted so the Iran defenders..."

By necessity, since liberals have blind faith in anything Obama supports. Even if it's a terrorist state that commits mass murders around the globe. Mass murder of non-Islamic or not-Islamic-enough ethnic cultures is no problem when you can pretend it's not true.

[rintintin]

“How did they know it was there, and that it would not explode in their face”

If Iran did it, why would they try to assist the stricken boat? By your theory, they implicated themselves and meant to do so. So what do they gain by pretending they didn’t do it? A isn’t consistent with B

I suspect the Saudis did it

[shanover]

It’s not to hard to imagine that it was mines planted by Iran. That’s the way they have done it before.

[rintintin]

“They removed their mine“

If they mined the ship, they had to know they’d be blamed - and apparently were sending a message.

But then there would be no reason to assist the ship, because doing so sends the opposite message, that Iran wasn’t the culprit

You can’t have it both ways

[rintintin]

I wish Pompeo and Bolton were concerned about the real threat to the US, the invasion from Mexico, which continues despite last weeks promises

[rintintin]

“t’s not to hard to imagine that it was mines planted by Iran. That’s the way they have done it before.”

It’s even less hard to imagine it was the Saudis. They desperately want us to attack Iran

[rintintin]

Iran caught red handed.“

Yep, just like Saddams WMDs. And the Gulf of Tonkin

Remember the Maine!

[Mariner]

“But then there would be no reason to assist the ship”

Misinformation.

The US rescued all sailors from both ships.

[rintintin]

The Iranian navy has more than a dozen mini-submarines “

The Saudis are well armed too. And they want us to go to war against Iran. My money is on MLB as the mastermind