US claims to have evidence Iran used mines to attack oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman

Four unnamed US defense officials told CNN on June 13 that a US military aircraft captured video showing an Iranian naval vessel moving alongside the Kokura Courageous, one of two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman, and removing an unexploded mine from its hull.

The officials said the images also showed a person on the Iranian vessel holding a mine. The Iranian vessel took this action even after the USS Bainbridge, a destroyer, as well as a U.S. drone and a P-8 patrol plane, had been on the scene for four hours.

US defense officials believe the Iranians were trying to hide evidence of their involvement in the attack. It is unclear whether these images and videos will be released.

Another official said that several small Iranian boats appeared at the scene where the USS Bainbridge was present, prompting US Central Command to issue a warning: "No interference with the USS Bainbridge or its mission will be tolerated."

The Panama-flagged, Japanese-owned oil tanker Kokura Courageous was attacked twice while en route to Singapore, catching fire and sustaining serious damage. The 21 Filipino crew members evacuated by lifeboat and were rescued by the nearby Coastal Ace before being picked up by the US destroyer USS Bainbridge. One person suffered minor injuries, while the Kokura Courageous is adrift at sea.

The second tanker attacked was the Front Altair, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker owned by the Norwegian company Frontline. The ship caught fire after being attacked and its crew was rescued by the South Korean cargo ship Hyundai Dubai, which was operating nearby.

The crew of the Front Altair, consisting of 11 Russians, one Georgian and 11 Filipinos, were later transferred to an Iranian naval vessel. The International Tanker Management (ITM), which owns the Front Altair, said all crew members were safe and were taken by the Iranian navy to the port city of Bandar Abbas.

Location of two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13. Graphics: CNN.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of attacking two oil tankers, saying the assessment was based on intelligence but without providing any evidence. The UK Foreign Office and Saudi Arabia both agreed with the US assessment, while Iran called the accusations “absurd” and strongly condemned the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described the explosions as “suspicious” and called for dialogue between countries in the region.

A senior Russian official earlier warned against jumping to conclusions about the incident or blaming Iran. Russia said the attack should not be used as a reason to increase pressure on Iran. "We are against jumping to conclusions and blaming countries we do not like," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.