Jun 17, 2019 - World
Pentagon releases additional photos alleging Iran behind oil tanker attacks
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The Pentagon released more photos Monday that officials claim support allegations that Iranian forces were responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, Bloomberg reports.
"Iran is responsible for the attack based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine."— U.S. Central Command
Why it matters: While the U.K., Saudi Arabia and Israel have backed the Trump administration's assessment that Iran's Revolutionary Guard was behind the attacks, domestic critics and some U.S. allies — including Germany and Japan — have demanded more evidence. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the U.S. has more evidence of Iran's culpability, but it's unclear if he was referring to these photos.
- According to the Pentagon, the images allegedly show an Iran Revolutionary Guard fast attack craft approaching one of the oil tankers to remove an unexploded limpet mine, a device believed to have been used in other attacks.
- Between the lines: As Defense One reporter Ben Watson notes, "This hardly appears to be an attempt to sink the tanker; rather a nuisance attack, and an apparently quite sloppy one undertaken with multiple US surveillance assets in the area."
Images with Pentagon descriptions
