US reportedly eyeing Iran after attack on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz
US reportedly eyeing Iran after attack on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz
The Trump administration was quick to blame Iran Thursday after a pair of Japanese-owned tankers were attacked Thursday near the Strait of Hormuz — a charge the Islamic Republic quickly denied.
A US defense official, without citing evidence, told CBS News that it was “highly likely Iran caused these attacks” on Thursday.
The official told the network he had seen reports that crew members of one of the tankers believed they were hit by a torpedo or a mine, but that he couldn’t confirm those reports.
The two tankers, the Marshal Islands-flagged Front Altair and the Panama-flagged Kokuka Courageous, were on their way to Taiwan and Singapore from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, respectively, the source said.
The Front Altair was on fire in waters between Gulf Arab states and Iran after an explosion that a source blamed on a magnetic mine.
The crew of the Norwegian vessel were picked up by a vessel in the area and passed to an Iranian rescue boat.