Washington DC, May 29: United States national security advisor John Bolton has on Wednesday said “naval mines almost certainly from Iran” have been used earlier this month to target and damage oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and cautioned Iran against news operations.
However, the minister failed to provide any information or evidence to back his allegations, which Tehran said was “laughable”, according to BBC news reports. The attacks were made on May 12 off the eastern coast of the UAE over four vessels.
“I think it is clear these (tanker attacks) were naval mines almost certainly from Iran,” Bolton said. “There is no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who is responsible for this and I think it’s important that the leadership in Iran know that we know.”
But Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi rejected all Bolton’s accusations.
“Raising this ludicrous claim in a meeting of those with a long history of anti-Iran policies is not strange,” he told Fars news agency.
“Iran’s strategic patience, vigilance, and defensive prowess will defuse mischievous plots made by Bolton and other warmongers,” he added.
The authorities of the UAE have said four vessels were targeted in a sabotage attack. However, Saudi Arabia stated two of its vessels had faced “significant damage”.
The Saudi Minister called on the international community to protect maritime navigation and oil tanker security to prevent “adverse consequences” for energy markets and the global economy.
The report followed a statement by the UAE government late on Sunday that four commercial cargo ships were “sabotaged” off its eastern coast. The attack took place near to UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Emirate of Fujairah, said the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Moreover, the US officials have declined to comment over the specific of a probe into the alleged attacks in which Saudi Arabia, France, US, and Norway are taking part.
Also read: Two Saudi oil tankers sabotaged near UAE coast, Riyadh’ energy minister says