Top U.S. security adviser: Iranian mines likely caused UAE tanker blasts

[webfact]

Top U.S. security adviser: Iranian mines likely caused UAE tanker blasts

By Lisa Barrington and Marwa Rashad

 

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton talks to reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

ABU DHABI/JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday that naval mines "almost certainly from Iran" were used to attack oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates this month, and warned Tehran against conducting new operations.

 

Bolton said the "prudent and responsible" approach taken by the United States, which has beefed up its military presence in the region, had made it clear to Iran and its proxies that such actions risked a "very strong" U.S. response.

 

He was speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of emergency summits of Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia on Thursday called to discuss the implications of the tanker attacks, and drone strikes two days later, on oil pumping stations in the kingdom.

 

Tehran has denied involvement in either attack and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed Bolton's latest remarks as a "ludicrous claim", Fars news agency said.

 

The UAE has not yet blamed anyone for the sabotage of four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, near Fujairah emirate, a major bunkering hub just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Riyadh has accused Tehran of ordering the drone strikes, which were claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthis who have been battling a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in a four-year conflict seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

 

"I think it is clear these (tanker attacks) were naval mines almost certainly from Iran," Bolton said without providing evidence. "There is no doubt in anybody's mind in Washington who is responsible for this and I think it's important that the leadership in Iran know that we know."

 

He declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation into the attacks in which the United States, France, Norway and Saudi Arabia are taking part, but said those other countries and ship owners involved could do so.

 

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Wednesday the attacks on UAE and Saudi oil facilities must be addressed with "strength and firmness" and more efforts were needed to combat the activities of the groups that carried them out.

 

Addressing a meeting of foreign ministers ahead of the summits, he said such attacks were a threat to the global economy, regional and international security.

 

MOUNTING TENSIONS

A UAE bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker were also hit. France has a naval base in Abu Dhabi.

 

Bolton said the tanker attacks were connected to the strike on oil pumping stations on the kingdom's East-West pipeline and a rocket attack on the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

 

He said there had been a fourth unsuccessful attack on Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port a few days before the tanker operation but that it was unclear if it was linked to the others. Saudi officials were not immediately available to comment.

 

Bolton and his UAE counterpart announced that a previously signed defence cooperation agreement between the two countries had now come into force, UAE state news agency WAM said, adding it would "enhance military coordination" at a critical time.

 

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 multinational nuclear pact with Iran and reimposed sanctions, notably targeting Tehran's key oil exports. Iran says it will not be cowed by what it has called psychological warfare.

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signalled on Wednesday that talks with the United States might be possible if Washington lifted sanctions and met its commitments under the nuclear deal, state television said.

 

Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed sanctions against Shi’ite Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but a regional foe, and have lobbied Washington to contain Tehran.

 

Bolton said the United States was discussing next steps with Gulf allies and the goal was "to make it clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of activities risk a very strong response from the Americans."

 

Washington said it was sending 1,500 troops to the region after speeding up deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and sending bombers and additional Patriot missiles.

 

Bolton also voiced concern about perceived threats from the overseas arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

 

"We are very concerned about the Quds Force and Qassem Soleimani using Shi'ite militia groups and others in Iraq as indirect ways to attack our embassy in Baghdad, consulate in Erbil, our various bases around the country," he said.

 

The U.S. Combined Air Operations Center is based in Qatar and its navy Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The U.S. air force also uses al-Dhafra airbase in Abu Dhabi.

 

(Additional reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Jeddah, Ali Abdelaty in Cairo, Asma Alsharif in Dubai, Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; writing by Ghaida Ghantous and Sylvia Westall; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-30

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[FritsSikkink]

Likely

Tells you all about the BS claims to start another oil war

[bristolboy]

Well, if John Bolton says so. It's good to keep in mind that during the run-up to the Iraq War Bolton claimed that Cuba was developing biological weapons. Even in that fevered time, that claim got ridiculed into silence.

[animalmagic]

5 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Well, if John Bolton says so. It's good to keep in mind that during the run-up to the Iraq War Bolton claimed that Cuba was developing biological weapons. Even in that fevered time, that claim got ridiculed into silence.

Iraq WMD.

Syrian sarin gas attacks.

Iranian naval mines.

Let's bomb them back into the Stone Age.  Sounds familiar!

[Tug]

Sooo mines you say hummmm to me a mine packs several tons of explosives or are they calling the tiny payloads carried on primitive drones mines?

[otherstuff1957]

There are a lot of different players in this region, some of whom want a war and others of whom do not. 

 

While the the Iranians may benefit from a bit of sabre-rattling to distract people from their internal problems, I doubt if they would be crazy enough to start a war.  This could very well be a false flag operation by some faction of the Saudis or some other group there. 

 

I wouldn't trust anything that Bolton says.

[pegman]

Isn't this the guy who Trump said recently would have 4 wars on the go right now if he could?

[ThaiFelix]

Well I just heard that an Iranian passport has been found at the scene after having miraculously survived the blast and weeks in the water!????????

[chilli42]

The government and the oligarchs are armed to the teeth with the weapons to control the narrative they want people to cheer for.  Will the American people be resilient enough to withstand it this time?  Not so sure.  If they get in a punch up with the Iranians it will be a real shit show ... a la the Vietnamese War Of Independence.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

naval mines "almost certainly from Iran" were used to attack oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates

So 51% certain, 70% certain, 80% certain?

Which means the converse that there is a probability that mines weren't from Iran.

US intelligence agencies don't use the term "almost certainly" in threat assessments. They use percentages of likelihood.

I'm not even sure what "from Iran" means. 'Made in Iran' but who planted the alleged mines?

We have bombs Made in the US falling on Yemen so they are certainly "from the US." But the US isn't dropping the bombs.

[Krataiboy]

Bolton's statement aimed at implicating Iran is as full of holes as a colander. Let's just hope Trump is smart enough to turn a deaf ear to this rabid warmonger's ravings.

[Foexie]

6 hours ago, Tug said:

Sooo mines you say hummmm to me a mine packs several tons of explosives or are they calling the tiny payloads carried on primitive drones mines?

Think you need to do some reading about mines. In WWII those german mines with a few dozen kg's of explosives did make ships sink.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine

[animalmagic]

2 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Bolton's statement aimed at implicating Iran is as full of holes as a colander. Let's just hope Trump is smart enough to turn a deaf ear to this rabid warmonger's ravings.

Keep hoping!

[otherstuff1957]

6 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Bolton's statement aimed at implicating Iran is as full of holes as a colander. Let's just hope Trump is smart enough to turn a deaf ear to this rabid warmonger's ravings.

Our best hope for peace depends on Trump's smarts? 

 

 

We're doomed! ????

[Jack100]

Gulf of Tonkin anyone ?

[Morch]

10 hours ago, otherstuff1957 said:

There are a lot of different players in this region, some of whom want a war and others of whom do not. 

 

While the the Iranians may benefit from a bit of sabre-rattling to distract people from their internal problems, I doubt if they would be crazy enough to start a war.  This could very well be a false flag operation by some faction of the Saudis or some other group there. 

 

I wouldn't trust anything that Bolton says.

 

I think factions and differing views within players make this even more complicated. Most of us are able to grasp that the USA administration doesn't necessarily accurately reflect USA sentiment or wishes. Less so when it comes to countries we're less familiar with or that their politics are less accessible.

[Morch]

7 hours ago, Srikcir said:

So 51% certain, 70% certain, 80% certain?

Which means the converse that there is a probability that mines weren't from Iran.

US intelligence agencies don't use the term "almost certainly" in threat assessments. They use percentages of likelihood.

I'm not even sure what "from Iran" means. 'Made in Iran' but who planted the alleged mines?

We have bombs Made in the US falling on Yemen so they are certainly "from the US." But the US isn't dropping the bombs.

 

USA intelligence services apply (or rather, instructed/encouraged to apply) a system by which certain terms and phrases representing percentages of likelihood, often referencing a range, rather than a fixed value. ThThink we discussed this on a past topic.

 

I don't know that Bolton is obligated to follow the same guidelines, and doubt his career gives an indication he would. The wording used is certainly ambiguous, despite the aim being to send a strong message.

[Guest Jerry787]

more lies and lies 

when US politicians will stop to LIE ? 

 

 

how people still can believe such lies ???? 

another white powder,  colin powel style to justify a petrol war !!!