‘Iran written all over it’: Trump accuses Tehran of carrying out tanker attacks
US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of being behind the recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, claiming that the evidence points squarely towards Tehran.
Speaking about the attacks on the Fox and Friends show on Friday morning, Trump said the evidence gathered by the US about them has “essentially got Iran written all over it.”
“Iran did do it," says Pres Trump of the attack on 2 fuel tankers in the Gulf of Oman. He said the evidence "got Iran written all over it," citing pictures of Iranians retrieving unexploded mine from hull of one tanker.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 14, 2019
Trump made the comments when asked what evidence Washington had been found to prove Iran was behind the attacks, and what the US response would be. The president pointed to footage of the reportedly“exposed” Iranian authorities removing an unexploded mine from one of the evacuated vessels overnight.
“You saw the boat at night trying to take the mine off and they successfully took it off,” Trump said, adding that Iran didn’t want to leave any evidence behind. “I guess they don’t know that we have things that...can detect in the dark.”
Also on rt.com Sabotage diplomacy: Zarif says no need to be ‘clairvoyant’ to see US ‘plan B’ for IranWhen pressed on what the US response would be to Iran's alleged attacks, Trump said “We’re going to see, but we’re not going to take it lightly.”
After two tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, Trump’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo cited unspecified US “intelligence” and the type of weapons used in the attacks as evidence of Iranian involvement.
“It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks,” Pompeo said before accusing Iran of attacking “freedom-loving nations.”
Also on rt.com Japanese tanker owner claims crew saw ‘flying objects’ before attack, denies ship struck mineTehran was dismissive, saying the US had resorted to “sabotage diplomacy” in order to demonize Iran among the international community and to cover up the “economic terrorism” is was wreaking through its sanctions regime.
The incident followed earlier attacks in May on two Saudi-flagged, one Norwegian-flagged and one Emirati-flagged tankers off the coast of the UAE. An Emerati-led probe into the May attacks blamed an unidentified state actor; however, Washington has repeatedly blamed Iran.
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