Release of New Images Against Iran and Deployment of US Forces to the Region

The United States is deploying an additional thousand soldiers to the Middle East for “defensive purposes.” The US Department of Defense previously released new images against the Islamic Republic in connection with the recent attack on tankers in the Oman Sea.

Tensions between the United States and Iran continue to rise. Patrick Shanahan, US Secretary of Defense, announced on Monday, June 17 (Khordad 27) with a statement the dispatch of an additional thousand soldiers to the Middle East.

He clarified: “This action is being taken to ensure the security and safety of our military personnel present throughout the region, as well as to protect American interests.” Shanahan, meanwhile, emphasized that “America is not seeking war with Iran”.

This is the second time in a short period that the United States has deployed fresh forces to the Middle East.

The United States had deployed another 1,500 personnel to the region in late May to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East. The US Secretary of Defense had stated at that time that the deployment of military personnel was in response to “ongoing threats from Iranian forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliates”.

New Images

The US Department of Defense also released new photos on Monday, June 17, which according to the Pentagon show that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces were responsible for the recent attack on two foreign tankers in the Oman Sea.

The Pentagon, in a statement released to this effect, said that one of the new images “shows the remnants of a magnetic attachment device of an unexploded mine”.

According to a statement by the US Department of Defense, these new images were taken by a US Army helicopter.

In another one of the 11 new images released, according to the Pentagon, one can see how Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces are attempting to remove an unexploded mine from the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous, thereby covering their tracks.

In another image, according to the US Department of Defense, the damage caused to the aforementioned tanker as a result of the attack can be seen.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) also released a video one day after the attack on Thursday, June 13, on two tankers in the Oman Sea, which according to it shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps patrol boat attempting to remove an inoperative mine from the hull of the tanker.

Washington accuses the Islamic Republic of involvement in the June 13 attacks on two tankers in the Oman Sea. Iran has denied any involvement in these attacks and described the incidents as “suspicious”.

“Ridiculous Actions”

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, on Monday, June 17, described the explosive operations against tankers in the Oman Sea and Indian Ocean as “ridiculous and worthless actions” by enemies of the Islamic Republic.

In response to American accusations regarding the attack on tankers, he said: “We have the courage to take responsibility for our actions.” Mohammad Bagheri clarified that if “Iran wills it, it can close the Strait of Hormuz and prevent any vessel or tanker from passing through this waterway”.

Abbas Araghchi, Spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also simultaneously, in an interview with the “Young Journalists Club,” compared American accusations to a joke and emphasized that the recent attack on two tankers in the Oman Sea “could be the work of Team B”.

“Team B” refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US National Security Advisor John Bolton, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed, who, according to the Islamic Republic’s belief, are working to escalate tensions between Iran and the United States.

Division in the European Union

Currently, the European Union does not have a unified position regarding American claims. Britain, like the United States, holds Iran responsible for the attack on tankers.

Several European countries, however, have refrained from supporting the American position on the perpetrator of the recent attack on the two tankers in the Oman Sea.

Foreign ministers of Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Austria announced on Monday, June 17, on the sidelines of the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting, that they still have uncertainties regarding the perpetrator of the attack and are currently comparing their information and data with that of the US government.

Haiko Maas, Foreign Minister of Germany, said in this regard that although his country has received information from the United States and Britain, it has not yet reached a definitive conclusion about the perpetrator of the attack. He, while emphasizing the need for “great precision and sensitivity” in examining this matter, called for avoiding hasty action.

According to Alexander Schallenberg, Austrian Foreign Minister, the danger is that “we are playing with fire and in the end everyone loses”. He added: “No one benefits from a hasty and uninvestigated statement of position”.

Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of Luxembourg, also, while recalling the US documents and evidence about Iraq’s access to weapons of mass destruction, which formed the basis for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, asked the UN Secretary-General to appoint an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the matter and identify the perpetrator of the attack.

Source: DW