Pentagon considers "Iranian attacks" in the region a threat to international peace and security
On Thursday, June 13, Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, in response to the attack on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman, accused Iran of posing a threat to global security and an act against free navigation in international waters with its "unprovoked attacks."
Patrick Shanahan wrote on Twitter, "We are not seeking conflict, but we are defending our interests and those of our allies."
On Thursday, "two large Singaporean and Norwegian oil tankers carrying crude oil" were attacked and caught fire in the Sea of Oman.
Hours later, the United States accused Iran of being responsible for the attack on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman.
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations responded that the US "claim" that Iran was involved in the attack was "baseless."
The statement added that the statements by American officials regarding Iran's role in the attack on these ships are part of the country's "Iranophobic psychological operations."
"War with Iran is not in America's interests"
In this context, the US Central Command, CENTCOM, said in a statement that the United States does not seek a new conflict in the Middle East, but will defend American interests and freedom of navigation.
CENTCOM says it has dispatched the destroyer USS Mason to the Sea of Oman and the site of the attack following an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The statement added that the USS Bainbridge is in close proximity to the damaged tanker Kokuka and that no interference with its mission will be tolerated.
Earl Brown, a CENTCOM spokesman, said the United States and its allies will take necessary actions to defend themselves and their interests.
He said Thursday's attacks were a threat to international peace and security.
The CENTCOM spokesman clarified: "We are not interested in a new conflict in the Middle East. We will defend our interests, but war with Iran is not in the strategic interests of the United States or the international community."
Consulting with allies
Two senior Trump administration officials have said that, following the attacks on two oil tankers, the United States is consulting with its allies about possible options to protect international traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the waters of the Sea of Oman.
The United States wants to ensure that free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues and that international maritime trade is not disrupted, two US officials told a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported.
One of these American officials, indicating that these types of attacks are likely to continue, said, "We don't think this is over."
He added that we are considering various options.
The US official said the attacks were designed to have political consequences, and suggested they were intended to disrupt a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Tehran.
"Video images"
The Pentagon has released a video saying that at 4:10 p.m. local time, an IRGC patrol boat approached the damaged Kokuka and “removed an unexploded mine from the tanker’s hull.”
CNN also says that sailors on the Kokuka tanker saw this unexploded mine on the ship's hull.
A military expert also told this network that their goal in removing this unexploded mine was to eliminate evidence of Iran's connection to the attack.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for the attack on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also said that Thursday's attacks were carried out to sabotage Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's diplomatic initiative by visiting Tehran.
In this context, Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the attack on these two tankers, which coincided with the Japanese Prime Minister's meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Republic, "suspicious" and expressed concern about it.
Source: Radio Farda
