Six vessels were damaged
There were two separate incidents in May and June. While the US has issued a video and images that appear to show Iranian service members removing a limpet mine from the tanker Kokuka Courageous after the second attack and has allowed media to view and photograph debris from the vessel not everyone is convinced. Some say the video could be Iran rescuing crew from the ship. The owner of the tanker said that he had received reports that a projectile not a mine hit the tanker as reported in a Digital Journal article.
The UAE said that it needed more concrete proof before it could reach a definitive conclusion that Iran was responsible for the attacks. So far Iran has denied that it was involved. It has accepted responsibility for downing a US Global Hawk drone that it insisted flew over its territory and the US was warned before it was shot down back on June 20
Statement of UAE foreign minister
Sheikh Bin Zayed al Nahyan, UAE foreign minister said as he spoke beside his Russian counterpart at a joint press conference in Moscow: “Honestly we can’t point the blame [for the tanker attacks] at any country because we don’t have evidence If there is a country that has the evidence, then I’m convinced that the international community will listen to it. But we need to make sure the evidence is precise and convincing.”
In a joint investigation with Saudi Arabia and Norway, the UAE determined that the first attacks were carried out by actors with a considerable amount of intelligence and technical experts but the report did not blame anyone specifically. Bin Zayed said that the assessment had already been sent to the UN Security Council.
Russia might support Iran if US launches a retaliatory attack
The Russian government has criticized US policy toward Iran and recently an official even said it might provide Iran with support if the US launched a retaliatory attack. Zamir Kabulov a Russian special envoy to Kommersant said: “Many other countries sympathize and empathize with Iran. Tehran won’t be alone if the U.S., God forbid, takes insane and irresponsible actions against it.”
Both the US and Saudi Arabia blame Iran for the attacks
The UAE is ostensibly an ally of the US and Saudi Arabia who both have already blamed Iran. However, UAE wants to show some degree of independence. Nevertheless, Sheik Mohammad Al Nahyan the crown prince of the UAE and de facto ruler, said when he met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last Monday that the two countries are standing side by side to meet the challenges in the region.
