U.S.-released video links Iran to tanker attacks

The U.S. military released a video Friday it said showed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boat removing an unexploded mine from one of the two oil tankers targeted Thursday in the Gulf of Oman. The black-and-white footage shows a small military boat pull alongside the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous tanker and remove the suspected mine from its hull. The U.S. military also released a still photo that showed a mine and damage to the tanker. The Norwegian-owned Front Altair tanker, which was carrying petrochemical feedstock, was also struck Thursday in a separate attack. Responders rescued all 44 crew members from both vessels.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi called the accusations “alarming” and blamed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “We are responsible for ensuring the security of the Strait and we have rescued the crew of those attacked tankers in the shortest possible time,” Mousavi told Iranian state radio. “Obviously, accusing Iran for such a suspicious and unfortunate incident is the simplest and the most convenient way for Pompeo and other U.S. officials.”