The United Arab Emirates has told United Nations Security Council members that attacks on four tankers off its coast on May 12 bore the hallmarks of a "sophisticated and coordinated operation," most likely by a state actor.

In a document on the briefing to Security Council members, the UAE, joined by Norway and Saudi Arabia, did not say who it believed was behind the attacks and did not mention Iran, which has been accused by the US of being directly responsible.

The three countries said the attacks required expert navigation of fast boats and trained divers who likely placed limpet mines with a high degree of precision on the vessels under the waterline.

"While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor," the three countries said in the document.

US national security adviser John Bolton said on May 29 that the attacks were the work of "naval mines almost certainly from Iran." Tehran denied the accusations.

A few days earlier in May, at the Pentagon, US Rear Admiral Michael Gilday accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of being directly responsible for the attacks.

The May 12 attacks targeted two Saudi tankers, an Emirati vessel and a Norwegian tanker, causing no casualties. They occurred off the UAE emirate of Fujairah, which lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil and gas shipping route.

The strait separates the Gulf Arab states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over US sanctions and the US military's regional presence. </s> UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that attacks on four tankers off its coast on May 12 bore the hallmarks of a “sophisticated and coordinated operation,” most likely by a state actor.

In a document on the U.N. briefing, the UAE joined by Norway and Saudi Arabia did not say who they believed was behind the attacks and they did not mention Iran, which has been accused by the United States of being directly responsible. </s> NEW YORK: The United Arab Emirates told United Nations Security Council members on Thursday that attacks on four tankers off its coast on May 12 bore the hallmarks of a “sophisticated and coordinated operation,” most likely by a state actor.

 In a document on the briefing to Security Council members, the UAE, joined by Norway and Saudi Arabia, did not say who it believed was behind the attacks and did not mention Iran, which has been accused by the United States of being directly responsible.

 The attacks required expert navigation of fast boats and trained divers who likely placed limpet mines with a high degree of precision on the vessels under the waterline to incapacitate but not sink them, according to the preliminary findings of the countries’ joint investigation.

 “While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor,” the three countries said in the document.

 They believe it was the work of several teams of operatives, which coordinated the timed detonation of all four explosive charges within less than an hour.

 The May 12 attacks targeted two Saudi tankers, an Emirati vessel and a Norwegian tanker, causing no casualties but fueling tensions between the United States and Iran during weeks of escalating rhetoric.

 US national security adviser John Bolton said on May 29 that the attacks were the work of “naval mines almost certainly from Iran.” Tehran denied the accusations.

 A few days earlier in May, at the Pentagon, US Rear Admiral Michael Gilday accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of being directly responsible for the attacks.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi, laid the blame squarely on Iran.

“We believe that the responsibility for this action lies on the shoulders of Iran. We have no hesitation in making this statement,” he said.

Threat to global energy supplies

 US President Donald Trump’s administration, acting on concerns of a potential attack by Iran on US interests, has deployed 1,500 more troops to the Middle East, accelerated the movement of an aircraft carrier strike group to the region and sent bombers and additional Patriot missiles.

 The tanker attacks occurred off the UAE emirate of Fujairah, which lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil and gas shipping route that separates the Gulf Arab states — allies of the United States — and Iran.

 The three countries said the attacks endangered commercial navigation and the security of global energy supplies. They planned to share the findings of their probe with the London-based International Maritime Organization.

 In the weeks before the attacks, the Trump administration hardened its policy against Iran by fully reimposing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization.

 Trump reiterated this week that he wants to sit down with Iran’s leaders to negotiate a new deal, a year after Washington pulled out of an accord between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions.

 Irani Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran would not be “deceived” by Trump’s offer. </s> Initial findings of an investigation led by the United Arab Emirates of May 12 attacks on oil tankers point to the likelihood that a state was behind the bombings, but there is no evidence yet that Iran was involved, the UAE said Thursday.

The UAE along with Saudi Arabia and Norway presented the preliminary findings during a briefing to the UN Security Council, which will also receive the final results of the probe to consider a possible response.

The United States has accused Iran of being behind the attacks on the four oil tankers off the Emirati coast, which came at a time of escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The four vessels — two Saudi-flagged, a Norwegian-flagged and an Emirati-flagged — were damaged by explosions that took place within UAE territorial waters, off the port of Fujairah.

After assessing the damage and carrying out chemical analysis, the UAE told the council that the attacks were sophisticated and of the type most likely carried out by state services.

“While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor,” said a statement from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway.

The initial findings showed that it was “highly likely” that four Limpet mines, which are magnetically attached to a ship’s hull, were used in the attacks, placed by trained divers who were deployed from fast boats, according to the preliminary findings.

The UAE believes the attacks required intelligence capabilities to pick the four oil tankers as targets, one of which — a Saudi ship — was at the opposite end of the anchorage area at Fujairah from the three other tankers.

Iran has rejected accusations that it was behind the sabotage and diplomats said there was no mention of Iran’s possible role during the briefing by the UAE.

Saudi Arabia, Iran’s arch-rival, told reporters that Tehran was nevertheless the most likely culprit.

“We believe the responsibility for this attack lies on the shoulders of Iran,” Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi told reporters after the briefing.

Saudi Arabia maintains the attacks affect the safety of international navigation and the security of world oil supplies, requiring a response from the Security Council.

Russia’s Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told reporters after the closed-door briefing that no evidence was presented linking Iran to the attacks.

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Safronkov said. “This investigation will be continued.”

UN diplomats say that any attempt at the council to punish Iran for the attacks is likely to face opposition from Russia.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said last week that Iranian mines were likely used in the attacks.

“There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who’s responsible for this,” Bolton said last week during a visit to Abu Dhabi.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Iran was trying to raise the price of oil as Washington works to end Iran’s exports of crude.

Regional tensions have spiked since President Donald Trump’s administration reimposed sanctions against Iran after the United State pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal.

The United States has sent nuclear-capable bombers and an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf, but Trump has said he does not want war. </s> The United States called Thursday for the UN Security Council to confront a "clear threat" posed by Tehran, after Washington said Iran was behind an attack on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

The council met behind closed doors to hear US acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen present a briefing on Washington's assessment that Iran was responsible for the suspected attack on two tankers in the strategic sea lane.

The attacks, which came a month after a similar incident targeting four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, "demonstrate the clear threat that Iran poses to international peace and security," Cohen said.

"I've asked the Security Council to remain seized of the matter and I expect that we will have further conversations about it and how to respond in the days ahead," he added.

Iran's mission to the United Nations responded in a statement that it was US sanctions and its military buildup in the Gulf that was "the most significant threat to peace and security" in the region.

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

"We would like to know who was behind this incident," he told reporters after the meeting.

INVESTIGATION

The latest incident came amid spiralling tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has pointed the finger at Iran over earlier tanker attacks in May.

"If there is something the world cannot afford, it is a major confrontation in the Gulf region," he told an earlier council meeting on UN cooperation with the Arab League.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority said three explosions were reported Thursday on board the Norwegian-owned tanker Front Altair after it was "attacked," along with the Japanese-owned ship Kokuka Courageous.

On May 12, four oil tankers -- two Saudi, one Norwegian and one Emirati -- were damaged in still unexplained attacks in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE last week said initial findings of its investigation pointed to the likelihood that a "state actor" was behind the bombings, but did not specifically blame Iran.

These showed that it was "highly likely" that four Limpet mines, which are magnetically attached to a ship's hull, were used in the attacks, placed by trained divers deployed from fast boats. </s> New York [US], June 07 (ANI): In a veiled reference to Iran, an investigation conducted by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway into the coordinated attack on their four oil tankers off the port of Fujairah last month has concluded that a "state actor" was behind it.

The three countries told the United Nations on Thursday in the briefing that there are "strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out with significant operational capacity."

The countries conducted the assessment of the damage to the four vessels and the chemical analysis of the debris recovered revealed that limpet mines were used during the attack on the four vessels.

In a press statement, the countries said that the attacks required trained divers, explosive charges placed under the waterline, near the engines, so as to not sink the ships or detonate their cargoes, which indicated a knowledge of the design of the targeted ships. The countries said rapid withdrawal of the plotters by fast boats indicated an understanding of the geographic area.

On May 12, two oil tankers from Saudi Arabia and two other vessels were targeted in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) exclusive economic zone.

However, the countries did not name Iran in their report, which has been repeatedly accused by the US for the attack.

The UAE ambassador, Lana Nusseibeh said she did not accuse Iran of responsibility in an informal Security Council meeting about the investigation, the CNN reported.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, however, claimed that Riyadh believes "responsibility lies on the shoulders of Iran."

He said there was "enough evidence" to demonstrate Iranian responsibility, adding that "if we tolerate a symbolic attack like this ... it opens the door for more." (ANI) </s> A United Arab Emirates probe into attacks on four tankers off its coast last month that ratcheted up tensions in the region has found a "state actor" was likely responsible, though stopped short of naming Iran.

In a document on the briefing to Security Council members, the UAE, joined by Norway and Saudi Arabia, did not say who it believed was behind the attacks and did not mention Tehran, which has been accused by the United States of being directly responsible.

The attacks required expert navigation of fast boats and trained divers who likely placed limpet mines with a high degree of precision on the vessels under the waterline to incapacitate but not sink them, according to the preliminary findings of the countries' joint investigation.

"While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor," the three countries said in the document. </s> The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Norway said Thursday that a preliminary investigation into a coordinated attack on four of their oil tankers in an Emirati port last month was likely carried out by a state actor.

In a joint statement, they said limpet mines were used in the May 12 coordinated attacks, which left large holes in the hulls of the four tankers, but did not cause more extensive damage or oil spills. Limpets are a type of naval mine that attach to their target with magnets.

“It appears most likely that the mines were placed on the vessels by divers deployed from fast boats,” the statement said. “While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor.”

The three countries presented their initial findings to the U.N. Security Council in an informal meeting Thursday to discuss what they see as a threat to international commercial navigation and the security of global energy supplies.

While they stressed that their investigation is still in the preliminary stage and did not jointly point a finger at any country in their statement, Saudi Arabian U.N. Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi said there was a “preponderance of evidence” pointing in one direction.

“We believe that the responsibility for this action lies on the shoulders of Iran,” al-Mouallimi told a small group of reporters. “We have no hesitation in making this statement, we believe there is enough evidence to demonstrate that.”

He said the attacks follow a “pattern of regular behavior of the Iran regime in terms of spreading acts of terrorism, sabotaging and causing havoc in many parts of the world.”

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton shared a similar assessment when he was in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi last month, telling reporters that it was “clear that Iran is behind” the attack.

The four blasts occurred within less than an hour on the two Saudi vessels, and one each from the UAE and Norway. The ships were within UAE territorial waters off the port of Fujairah, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a busy shipping lane through which a large portion of the world’s oil supply passes.

The tankers were targeted from among nearly 200 other vessels at anchor off of Fujairah on that day. One of the vessels was several kilometers away at the opposite end of the anchorage area, an indication that the targets were not randomly chosen.

The UAE is leading the ongoing investigation and said it will share its preliminary findings with the London-based International Maritime Organization. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption The Saudi oil tanker Al-Marzoqah was one of the ships damaged

The United Arab Emirates has told the UN Security Council a "state actor" was most likely behind attacks on four tankers off its coast.

The 12 May attacks bore the hallmarks of a "sophisticated and co-ordinated operation", according to its report.

The UAE did not say who it thought was behind the attacks, which also targeted vessels from Saudi Arabia and Norway.

The US has accused Iran of being behind the attacks but Tehran denies this and has called for an investigation.

The attacks took place within UAE territorial waters east of the emirate of Fujairah, just outside the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, in what the UAE called a "sabotage attack".

They exacerbated long-standing tensions between Iran, and the US and its allies in the Gulf.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC was invited on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea

What does the report say happened?

According to the UAE-led investigation, which was presented to a closed session of the UN Security Council in New York, the attacks showed a "high degree of sophistication".

"The attacks required the expert navigation of fast boats" which "were able to intrude into UAE territorial waters", the report's preliminary findings say.

Divers were used to attack the ships using limpet mines in order to cause damage but not cause a major explosion, the presentation says.

There were no casualties but Saudi Arabia has said two of its ships suffered "significant" damage. Another tanker was Norwegian-registered, while the fourth was UAE-flagged.

Pressure-cooker atmosphere

There are two aspects to the tensions under way in the Gulf. One practical - what the Americans insist is a real threat from Iran and its allies in the region - and a political one - a push by Washington and its key Gulf allies to paint Iran as an imminent threat to peace.

The latest UAE-led findings on the tanker attacks last month have to be seen in this context.

At the UN they - along with Saudi Arabia and Norway - blamed a "state actor" but stopped short of specifically naming Iran. But then US officials have already said Iran was responsible, with reports that the US Navy tracked a flotilla of small Iranian vessels from which they believe divers operated to mine the ships.

So the accusations are not new as such, though made in a more formal setting.

But they underscore the pressure-cooker atmosphere in the region with any mistake or misunderstanding by either side risking a serious military engagement.

Why is Iran being accused?

The attacks happened at a time of escalating tension between the US and Iran, long-time foes.

They took place days after the US sent warships and bombers to the region in response to what it said was an unspecified plan by Iran to attack US forces in the area.

While it is unclear why Iran would carry out a relatively low-level attack on the multinational tankers, observers have speculated that it could have been to send a signal to forces ranged against it that it is capable of disrupting shipping there without triggering a war.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption US special representative for Iran: "We are not looking to get into a war"

Responding to the UAE report, the Saudi Ambassador to the UN, Abdallah Y al-Mouallimi, said the kingdom believed "that the responsibility for this action lies on the shoulders of Iran. We have no hesitation in making this statement," Reuters news agency reported.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton previously said "naval mines almost certainly from Iran" were to blame for the damage, although he provided no evidence to support the allegation.

Iran's foreign ministry has rejected the US accusations as "ludicrous" and accused Mr Bolton of being a "warmonger".

Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, had provided the US with unspecified material linking Iran to the attacks.

An unnamed senior Israeli official said on Thursday that Israel had evidence that "the Iranians did it… without a doubt, either directly or by proxies".

Why have tensions risen?

The Trump administration has taken a hard line towards Iran, accusing it of being a destabilising force in the Middle East. For its part, Iran has accused the US of aggressive behaviour.

Tensions increased last month when Washington ended exemptions from sanctions for countries still buying oil from Iran. Washington reinstated sanctions a year ago when it abandoned an international nuclear deal curbing Iran's nuclear programme.

The decision was intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue.

In response, Iran announced it would suspend several commitments under the deal.
The United Arab Emirates tells the UN Security Council that a "state actor" was most likely behind the May 12 attacks on four tankers off its coast, including ones from Saudi Arabia and Norway. UAE did not say who it suspected; the United States blamed Iran which denied the accusation.