Tensions are rising in the Middle East over the attacks on oil tankers. The USA is blaming Iran for the on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. The tankers are owned by Japan and Norway. They were hit by while navigating waters close to the important Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Around a of the world's passes through the Strait, which is just 68km at its point. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran was behind the " assault" on the vessels. He said the U.S. would defend itself and its against "Iranian aggression" in the region. However, he provided no that Iran was behind the attacks.
The attacks are the such incidents carried out against tankers in the month. Two Saudi tankers were sabotaged in the UAE port of Fujairah last . The U.S. says the latest tankers were hit by mines and posted a video of supposed Iranian forces removing an mine off the hull of one of the ships. Iran's Foreign Minister described the attacks as "". He said Iran's navy was investigating them. Iran called the U.S. accusations "unfounded," "inflammatory" and "Iranophobic". The Japanese of one of the tankers said his vessel was struck by some of missile and not by a . The United Nations cautioned that the truth needed to be " established".
