U.S. Releases “smoking gun” video over tanker attacks

June 14, 2019

Washington--The U.S. Central Command has released a video showing a possible attempt by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to cover up evidence of Thursday's attacks on Japanese and Norwegian tankers around the Strait of Hormuz.

The 99-second video shows that an IRGC patrol boat approached the Japanese tanker, operated by Tokyo-based Kokuka Sangyo Co., about nine hours after an explosion occurred on the motor tanker, the Kokuka Courageous, according to a statement by the U.S. command.

The IRGC boat left the Kokuka Courageous after its crew removed an unexploded limpet mine from the tanker, the U.S. command claimed.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Washington on Thursday that Iran was "responsible for the attacks."

"This is only the latest in a series of attacks instigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its surrogates against American and allied interests," Pompeo said.

"The United States will defend its forces and interests, and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability," he stressed.

According to the central command, U.S. Naval Forces in the region received two distress calls from the Norwegian tanker Altair and the Japanese tanker, at 6:12 a.m. and 7 a.m. Thursday local time, respectively. The guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge then headed for the tankers.

A U.S. aircraft spotted an IRGC patrol boat and multiple IRGC attack vessels near the Front Altair, the Norwegian tanker, at 8:09 a.m. At 9:26 a.m., the sailors from the Front Altair who had been rescued by a nearby ship were turned over to an IRGC ship.

At 11:05 a.m., the USS Bainbridge approached a Dutch tug boat that had rescued the 21 Kokuka Courageous crew members, for their transfer to the U.S. destroyer.

In the statement, the U.S. Central Command indicated its readiness to "take all necessary measures to defend ourselves and our interests," while regarding the latest tanker attacks as "a clear threat to international freedom of navigation and freedom of commerce."

But it added that the United States "has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East." Jiji Press