FILE PHOTO - Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir speaks during a news conference with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia agrees with the United States that Iran was behind the suspected attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said on Thursday.

“We have no reason to disagree with the secretary of state. We agree with him,” Jubeir told CNN. “Iran has a history of doing this.”

(This story corrects Saudi minister’s title in headline and first paragraph) </s> Pompeo Says Iran Is Responsible For Attacks On Oil Tankers In The Gulf Of Oman

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Iran is responsible for Thursday's attacks on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. </s> Iran has warned the US to stop playing a blame game through "suspicious" attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East, describing the American behavior as "worrying".

The stern warning by Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Friday came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offhandedly blamed Tehran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

"The suspicious nature of incidents for oil tankers is not a joke. It is not only not funny, but it is also worrying and alarming," Mousavi said in a statement.

The attacks on Thursday morning sent shock waves through the world which was awaiting the news of a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Pompeo said immediately, “It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today.”

"It seems that for Mr Pompeo and other American statesmen, accusing Iran in the suspicious and unfortunate incident for tankers is the most convenient and simplistic job," Mousavi said.

"While Japan's prime minister is meeting with the number one figure of the Islamic Republic of Iran to reduce tensions, which clandestine hands seek to undermine these efforts in the region and who benefit from it?" he added.

The spokesman reminded that Iran was the first country to come to help the ships in distress and save their crew as quick as possible.

"The responsibility for ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz lies with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we have shown that we have been able to help the sailors of the crashed ships and rescue them as quickly as possible."

Earlier on Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rebuffed Pompeo's allegations, saying they were part of the “sabotage diplomacy” pushed by the "B-Team".

The B-Team is a reference to hawkish US national security adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a follow-up Twitter post, Zarif said, “I warned of exactly this scenario a few months ago, not because I'm clairvoyant, but because I recognize where the #B_Team is coming from.”

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors on Thursday and discussed the attacks at the request of the United States.

Washington's assessment, however, was not shared by other council members, who noted that there was no clear evidence linking Tehran to the attacks, diplomats said.

The Iranian mission to the UN, meanwhile, rejected the "unfounded" US accusations.

“Neither fabrications and disinformation campaigns nor shamelessly blaming others can change the realities. The US and its regional allies must stop warmongering and put an end to mischievous plots as well as false flag operations in the region.” </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two oil tankers came under a suspected attack Thursday near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with one of them set ablaze, and the U.S. blamed Iran in what it called a campaign of “escalating tensions” in a region crucial to global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy rushed to assist the stricken vessels in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran. The ships’ operators offered no immediate explanation on who or what caused the damage against the Norwegian-owned MT Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous. Each was loaded with petroleum products, and the Front Altair burned for hours, sending up a column of thick, black smoke.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. assessment of Iran’s involvement was based in part on intelligence as well as the expertise needed for the operation. It was also based on recent incidents in the region that the U.S. also blamed on Iran, including the use of limpet mines to attack four oil tankers off the nearby Emirati port of Fujairah and the bombing of an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia by Iranian-backed fighters in May, he said.

“Taken as a whole these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran,” Pompeo said. He provided no evidence, gave no specifics about any plans and took no questions.

At the United Nations, the United States asked for closed Security Council consultations on the tanker incidents later Thursday.

Iran denied being involved in the attacks last month and its foreign minister called the timing of Thursday’s incidents suspicious, given that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Pompeo noted that Abe had asked Iran to enter into talks with Washington but Tehran “rejected” the overture.

“The supreme leader’s government then insulted Japan by attacking a Japanese-owned oil tanker just outside Iranian waters, threatening the lives of the entire crew, creating a maritime emergency,” Pompeo added.

Iran previously used mines against oil tankers in 1987 and 1988 in the “Tanker War,” which saw the U.S. Navy escort ships through the region. Regardless of who is responsible, the price of a barrel of benchmark Brent crude spiked as much as 4% immediately after the attack, showing how critical the region remains to the global economy.

“The shipping industry views this as an escalation of the situation, and we are just about as close to a conflict without there being an actual armed conflict, so the tensions are very high,” said Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security for BIMCO, the largest international association representing ship owners.

The suspected attacks occurred at dawn Thursday about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the southern coast of Iran. The Front Altair, loaded with naphtha from the United Arab Emirates, radioed for help as it caught fire. A short time later, the Kokuka Courageous, loaded with methanol from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, also called for help.

The U.S. Navy sent a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, to assist, said Cmdr. Joshua Frey, a 5th Fleet spokesman. He described the ships as being hit in a “reported attack,” without elaborating.

Frontline, the firm that operates the Front Altair, told The Associated Press that an explosion was the cause of the fire. Its crew of 23 — from Russia, the Philippines and Georgia — was safely evacuated to the nearby Hyundai Dubai vessel, it said.

BSM Ship Management said the Kokuka Courageous sustained hull damage and its 21 Filipino sailors had been evacuated, with one suffering minor injuries. All 21 were placed aboard the Bainbridge, according to Lt. Col. Earl Brown, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command.

Earlier, Iranian state television said 44 sailors from the two tankers were transferred to an Iranian port in the southern province of Hormozgan. The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled.

The Front Altair had been bound for Taiwan, the Kokuka Courageous for Singapore, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

The fact that both vessels remained afloat suggested mines may have damaged them, Larsen said.

“Judging from the damage, it doesn’t look like a torpedo, it looks like something smaller, whether that is a vessel-borne improvised explosive device or even a limpet mine,” he told the AP.

According to a U.S. official, initial evidence suggested the attack against the Kokuka Courageous was conducted by Iran with a mine similar to what was used against oil tankers off the UAE last month. The official, who declined to provide additional details or evidence, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss initial findings that have not been made public.

Like in Fujairah, dozens of ships ranging from massive oil tankers to smaller pleasure boats, traditional dhows and cargo vessels ply the waters of the strait and the Gulf of Oman. The navies of Iran, Oman, the UAE and the U.S. regularly patrol, but the waters are vast and lit only by the moonlight at night, allowing small vessels to approach without warning.

Tensions have escalated in the Mideast as Iran appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord that President Donald Trump repudiated last year. The deal saw Tehran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of crippling sanctions. Now, Iran is threatening to resume enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels if European nations don’t offer it new terms to the deal by July 7.

Already, Iran says it quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions have cut off opportunities for Iran to trade its excess uranium and heavy water abroad, putting Tehran on course to violate terms of the nuclear deal regardless.

In May, the U.S. rushed an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets to the region in response to what it said were threats from Iran.

Thursday’s incidents came as Abe’s high-stakes diplomatic mission was underway in Iran. Japan’s Trade Ministry said the two vessels had “Japan-related cargo,” without elaborating.

After talks Wednesday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Abe said any “accidental conflict” that could be sparked amid heightened between Washington and Tehran must be avoided.

His message came hours after Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi airport, striking its arrivals hall before dawn and wounding 26 people. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting for over four years against the Houthis, whom United Nations experts and the West say receive arms from Iran. Tehran denies that.

A statement published by Khamenei’s website after Abe’s meeting with Khamenei suggested a tense exchange between the two.

“We have no doubt about your good will and seriousness, but … I don’t regard Trump as deserving any exchange of messages,” Khamenei reportedly told Abe. Khamenei also said Iran remained opposed to building atomic weapons, but offered a challenge to Trump.

“You should know that if we planned to produce nuclear weapons, America could not do anything,” said Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran’s Shiite theocracy.

Abe later told journalists he stressed with Khamenei that Trump wanted to de-escalate the tensions.

“I frankly told that to Supreme Leader Khamenei as my opinion,” Abe said.

Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, David Rising in Berlin, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed. </s> BRUSSELS—U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo crashed a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday to push for a united transatlantic front against Tehran and its nuclear program. But he failed to bend attitudes among leaders who fear the United States and Iran are inching toward war. Pompeo’s last-minute decision to visit the European Union capital, announced as he boarded a plane from the United States, set up a confrontation between the top U.S. diplomat and his European counterparts, who have been scrambling to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal last year. At least one, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said he feared that unintentional escalation from the United States and Iran could spark a conflict — an unusually bold statement that appeared to assign equal culpability to Washington and Tehran.

The visit came on a day that the Saudi Foreign Ministry said two of its oil tankers and a Norwegian ship were damaged near the Persian Gulf, in what it claimed was an “act of sabotage.” A statement from Thome Ship Management, the owners of the Norwegian-flagged vessel, said an “unknown object” had created a hole in the hull of one of its ships, the MT Andrea Victory. Photographs of the ship show a hole just above the waterline. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE produced photographs to support claims that Saudi tankers had incurred “significant damage.” The incidents did not cause casualties or oil spills, according to a statement by Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih.

The countries stopped short of assigning blame, but the incidents occurred at the same time and in the same place off the coast of the United Arab Emirates only days after the United States dispatched warships and bombers to the area to deter alleged threats from Iran. Asked on Monday about the damage to the ships off the UAE coast, President Donald Trump seemed to implicate Iran. “It’s going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that,” he said. “They’re not going to be happy. They are not going to be happy people, OK?” Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the shipping incidents as “alarming and regrettable” and said they would have a “negative effect” on shipping safety and maritime security, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency. The Trump administration has called for “maximum pressure” on Iran. The EU’s chief diplomat, Federica Mogherini, reached for a different extreme after meeting with Pompeo on Monday.

“The most responsible attitude to take,” she said, “should be that of maximum restraint and avoiding any escalation on the military side.” Pompeo was rebuffed on even some basic requests in Brussels. European diplomats haggled over how much to accommodate him while his plane sped across the Atlantic. Although Mogherini managed to find time, initially she said she had a busy day and that the pair would talk “if we manage to arrange a meeting.” The top diplomats of Britain, France and Germany agreed to meet one on one with Pompeo but would not allow the Americans the symbolic victory of a group meeting. (The Europeans publicly blamed scheduling difficulties.)

“No, no, this was great,” Pompeo told Mogherini after she appeared to apologize for not meeting collectively while they posed for pictures together. “You had a busy day,” he said. “We agree on much more than we disagree. That continues to be the case,” said Pompeo’s top Iran adviser, Brian Hook. “We share the same threat assessment. We are very concerned about Iran’s — a lot of the multiple threat streams that have been reported over the last three or four days.” But the Europeans said they are fearful about the behaviour of both Iran and the Trump administration. “We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,” said Hunt, the British foreign secretary. “What we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking. Most of all, we need to make sure we don’t end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearization.” The incidents in the Persian Gulf follow a surge in U.S.-Iranian tensions in recent weeks. First, the Trump administration lifted sanctions waivers given to eight countries that import Iranian oil, in a bid to bring Iran’s exports down to “zero,” according to U.S. officials. Iranian imports had already plunged after the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear accord and reimposed sanctions in November. The expiration of the waivers is expected to inflict further pain on Iran’s reeling economy. Then, the United States said it had received intelligence that Iran was planning some kind of attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East. The Pentagon dispatched reinforcements to the Persian Gulf, including an aircraft carrier, a Patriot missile battery and a squadron of B-52 bombers. The moves prompted Iran to warn that it is prepared to retaliate if attacked. Tehran also announced last week that it would scale back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with major world powers and step up uranium enrichment, raising concern among the accord’s remaining signatories that it will soon collapse altogether. Europe still considers the deal key to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. The Trump administration responded to the move by slapping new sanctions on metals exports. Pompeo scrapped a day of mostly ceremonial events in Moscow on Monday in favour of the Brussels stopover. He plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday. Diplomats familiar with Pompeo’s conversations in Brussels said little new ground was covered, with each side repeating talking points about whether the nuclear deal is worth preserving “I once again made it clear that we are concerned about developments and tensions in the region,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after meeting with Pompeo. European leaders agree with the United States that Iran’s developing ballistic missile program and its belligerent behaviour are problematic. But they differ about whether that means the nuclear deal — a key part of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy legacy — should be scrapped. Abbas Mousavi, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, suggested that the apparent sabotage might have been carried out as part of a conspiracy to ignite conflict in the region. He cautioned against “plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security” and called for an inquiry. </s> BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on “escalating” threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels on Monday, the U.S. special representative for Iran said.

“Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi,” Brian Hook told reporters, referring to Pompeo’s planned visit to Russia on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Pompeo canceled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead, en route to Sochi.

“The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly,” Hook said. “We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats.”

Hook said Pompeo, while in Brussels, also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: “We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do.”

Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook had no comment.

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it.

Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah, both owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri. The other two were UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge A. Michel and Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory. </s> Iran is responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.

The MT Front Altair and the Kokuka Courageous were both carrying petroleum products at the time of the incidents. The Front Altair burned for hours afterward. No deaths were reported on either ship, though several crewman were reported injured. In response to the attacks, oil prices rose on world markets.

In Washington, Pompeo laid the blame squarely on Iran. “It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,” Pompeo said during a news conference, according to ABC.

“This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication,” he said.

“This is only the latest in the series of attacks instigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its surrogates against American and allied interests,” he said, according to the BBC.

“Taken as a whole, these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo said the United States “will defend its forces, interests and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability.”

He said the attacks are part of Iran’s backlash against sanctions imposed upon it, The Guardian reported.

“Iran is lashing out because the regime wants our successful maximum pressure campaign lifted. No economic sanctions entitle the Islamic Republic to attack innocent civilians, disrupt global oil markets and engage in nuclear blackmail,” he said.

Fox News reported that it was told by a “senior U.S. defense official” that one of the damaged ships had an unexploded mine attached to its hull, and the mine was of the same type used in several May attacks on ships also in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. blamed Iran or its allies for those attacks.

RELATED: Iran Stepping Back After Preparing To Attack US Forces

Pompeo said last month that those attacks “were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world,” according to The New York Times.

A spokesman for Taiwan’s CPC Corporation, which owns one of the ships, said the targeted ship was “suspected of being hit by a torpedo.” There was no confirmation of that claim.

Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security for BIMCO, said the attacks add to rising tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

“The shipping industry views this as an escalation of the situation, and we are just about as close to a conflict without there being an actual armed conflict, so the tensions are very high,” he said.

The U.S. Navy sent the USS Bainbridge, a destroyer, to assist the stricken vessels.

Iran denied that it was behind the attacks, which took place as Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, during a visit to Iran, was rebuffed by Iranian leader Ali Khamenei on the subject of re-starting talks between the U.S. and Iran.

President Donald Trump then joined in with a tweet, agreeing that the time was wrong for talks.

“While I very much appreciate PM Abe going to Iran to meet with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, I personally feel that it is too soon to even think about making a deal. They are not ready, and neither are we!” Trump tweeted.

The latest attacks add to a rising drumbeat of tensions that began in May, when the U.S. sent extra forces to the Persian Gulf region, citing concerns of an attack by Iran or its allies against the U.S. or American interests in the region.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> BRUSSELS: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels on Monday (May 13), the US special representative for Iran said.

"Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi," Brian Hook told reporters, referring to Pompeo's planned visit to Russia on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Pompeo canceled a visit to Moscow on Monday and stopped in Brussels instead, en route to Sochi.

"The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly," Hook said. "We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats."

Hook said Pompeo, while in Brussels, also discussed reported attacks on several oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Asked if Pompeo was blaming Iran for the attacks, Hook said: "We discussed ... what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels that were anchored ... we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do."

Asked if he himself believed there was the possibility of an Iranian role, Hook had no comment.

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it.

Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

The UAE on Monday identified the vessels as very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah, both owned by Saudi shipping firm Bahri. The other two were UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge A. Michel and Norwegian-registered oil products tanker MT Andrew Victory. </s> Iran has accused the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of lying about the “torpedo attack” on an American-linked oil tanker as tensions reach breaking point.

According to Iran, the US launched the attacks Thursday on two tankers which burst into flames in the Gulf of Oman, as part of a “false flag” operation to justify another war of aggression in the region.

Ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo immediately blamed Iran for the “blatant” attacks, and the Pentagon released images and footage they described as “proof” of Iranian involvement.

But Iran has hit back at the “unfounded and reckless” claims and accused the US of “warmongering” as part of a “disinformation campaign”.

“The US and its regional allies must stop warmongering and put an end to mischievous plots and false flag operations in the region,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said.

“Warning, once again, about all of the US coercion, intimidation and malign behaviour, Iran expresses concern over suspicious incidents for the oil tankers that occurred today.”

The Sun report: It came after Pompeo pointed the finger at Iran and the Pentagon attempted to prove the Iranians are to blame.

Pompeo said the attacks were part of a “campaign” of “escalating tension” by Iran which posed a threat to international peace and security.

Iran blasted his “inflammatory remarks” and said they amounted to “another Iranophobic campaign”.

“Iran categorically rejects the U.S. unfounded claim with regard to 13 June oil tanker incidents and condemns it in the strongest possible terms,” the Iranian mission said in a statement.

The Islamic nation added that the US poses the “most significant threat” to the peace and security of the Persian Gulf region.

“The US economic war and terrorism against the Iranian people as well as the massive military presence in the region have been and continue to be the main sources of insecurity and instability in the wider Persian Gulf region and the most significant threat to its peace and security,” the statement said.

Iran’s foreign minister later dismissed the US accusations as “sabotage diplomacy”.

Both the Front Altair and the Panama-flagged Kokuka Courageous burst into flames and were forced to evacuate in the troubled region on Thursday.

Reports suggested the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous may have been targeted by a magnetic mine causing a series of massive explosions on board.

The Pentagon released a video that it said showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from the tanker.

This suggests the Islamic Republic may have sought to remove evidence of its involvement from the scene.

The black-and-white footage, as well as still photographs released by the US military’s Central Command, appeared to show the limpet mine on the Kokuka Courageous.

But the owner has since said the tanker crew saw “flying objects” before the attack, suggesting the ship was not damaged by mines, according to AP.

Pompeo said the US will defend its forces and interests in the region but gave no specifics about any plans and he took no questions.

Hours later it was revealed the US Navy is sending the guided missile destroyer USS Mason to the scene of the attacks.

The USS Bainbridge rescued 21 of the 44 stricken sailors involved in the incident near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir directly blame Iran for being behind the attacks on both ships. Iranian officials deny the U.S. claims.