Iran Press/America: The black and white surveillance video is exceedingly grainy. It shows what US military officials claim is an Iranian Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) patrol boat bobbing alongside the Kokuka Courageous, one of the two tankers damaged by explosions Thursday in the Gulf of Oman that Donald Trump administration falsely blamed on Iran.
"The US track record on ginning up evidence for war is not good," William Church, a former military investigator for the United Nations Security Council told Newsweek.
"It lied in the run-up to the Vietnam war [by inventing a North Vietnamese attack on a US Navy ship in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964], and it lied about WMD [weapons of mass destruction] before the Iraq war,” he added. “So when these tanker attacks happen, we have to ask why and what's the motivation in addition to examining the evidence."
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said on Friday that a video provided by the United States doesn’t prove that Iran is behind the attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
US video proves nothing regarding oil tanker attacks: German FM
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The video was released a few hours after the US’ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed in a statement: "It is the assessment of the US government that the Islamic Republic of Iran was responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today."
But independent intelligence experts say the video provides no proof whatsoever of Iran's alleged involvement in the attacks, a charge Iran strongly and categorically denies.
With regard to the video, Church said much more needs to be known before any conclusions about Iranian responsibility can be drawn.
"The video means nothing," added Church.
Amid the rising tensions in the Middle East, these experts say, there are numerous other players in the region with compelling motivations to carry out such attacks.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman also warned by saying the blame game which the United States has started is certainly not a joke, but it is rather worrying and alarming.
US blaming game through 'suspicious' attacks alarming: FM SPOX
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US blaming game through 'suspicious' attacks alarming: FM SPOX
Iran saved the 44 crew members of two foreign tankers, which had caught fire in the Sea of Oman, rescuing them on time in coordination with Shahid Rajaee Port's Marine Corps Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC). 104/211/214
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