The United States blames Iran for attacks on two tanker vessels in the Gulf of Oman, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a press briefing.
“It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,” Pompeo said on Thursday.
Mr Pompeo explained said that the US assessment was based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping and the fact that no proxy groups operating in the area have the resources to act with such a high degree of sophistication.
He added that he had asked US ambassador to the UN, Jonathan Cohen, to raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday afternoon.
