Bolton blames Iran for attack on oil tankers

The sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates “almost certainly” came from naval missiles positioned by Iran, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday. While in Abu Dhabi to meet with Emirati officials, Bolton told journalists there had been an unsuccessful attack on Yanbu, a Saudi port, a couple of days before the attacks on the tankers.

Two days after the May 12 attack on the oil-bearing ships, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked two oil stations in Saudi Arabia. On May 19, the rebels fired a rocket into the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, less than a mile from the U.S. Embassy.

As tensions with Iran escalate, the United States has evacuated staff from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, deployed a carrier ship and bomb squad to the region, and announced plans to deploy 1,500 troops to the Middle East. President Donald Trump has denied that he wants war with Iran, while Bolton said the United States is prepared to retaliate if attacked. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused unnamed Trump administration officials of “trying to push the United States to war with Iran for their own ends. … We hope that we can start a dialogue, but we are ready for war.”