ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The United Arab Emirates, Norway, and Saudi Arabia jointly released preliminary findings on Thursday, suggesting that a “state actor” may have been behind the sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the Port of Fujairah last month.
The permanent representatives to the United Nations for the three countries stated in a press conference that the investigations headed by the Emirates suggest that limpet (magnetic naval) mines were used by divers deployed from fast boats against the four vessels.
“While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indicators that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operations capacity, most likely a state actor,” the joint statement read.
On May 12, four vessels including two Saudi oil tankers were damaged in incidents which were described as “sabotage attacks.”
An image shows damage to the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory off the coast of Fujairah in May 2019. Photo: UAE National Media Council via AP
US National Security Advisor John Bolton has alleged Iran is behind the attacks.
“I don’t think anybody who is familiar with the situation in the region, whether they have examined the evidence or not, thinks anything other than that these attacks were carried out by Iran or their surrogates,” Bolton told reporters on May 30.
Iran previously has called the accusations against it fabrications by Mossad, Israel’s powerful external intelligence agency. Tehran has also claimed the US relied fake intelligence provided by the Israelis.
“The #B_Team's boy who cries wolf is crying once again: this time Mossad is fabricating intelligence about Iran's involvement in sabotage in Fujairah. I've warned of “accidents” and false flags—we know what happens when you believe their lies. We've been here before, haven't we?” tweeted Iranian FM Javad Zarif on Wednesday.
The joint briefing by the three countries cited “intelligence capabilities” which would require the positive identification of the four ships, “trained divers” to set up explosives at vulnerable parts of the ship to incapacitate it instead of sinking it as evidence that a state actor might be behind the attacks.
The report stopped short of naming any countries.
"Our investigations are still ongoing," Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's permanent representative to the UN, was quoted as saying by Emirati-run The National.
A slide shown during the three representatives presentation and reading of a joint statement on June 6, 2019, about last month's attacks on oil vessels in the Middle East. Photo: AP via UAE Mission to UN
"To date, they have included data gathered through technical teams, deployment of divers, and chemical analysis in UAE laboratories that is being verified with international partner teams," she added.
Since the US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 that he claimed didn’t prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons or rein in its regional adventurism, tensions between Iran and the United States have increased.
The United States has re-imposed a raft of sanctions, most notably on Iran’s oil sector, with the aim of driving oil exports down to zero. Exports have been decreased from about 2.5 million barrels per day to 400,000 in May.
The US has also designated Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization. Iran reciprocated by listing US Central Command as a terrorist organization.
Amid the escalations, the US has claimed “credible threats” to send B-52 bombers, destroyer ships and an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East. This has increased tensions, with many saying this could lead to an incident that will make things go out of control.
Despite the tension, both Iran and the United States say they don’t want war. Washington insists that Iran has to give up any quest for nuclear weapons and curb its interference and adventurism in the Middle East in order for talks to take place.
Iranian leadership has refused to talk with the Americans while under sanctions. Tehran says it would consider negotiations with Europe, but not if they involve the defense of Iran or the Islamic Revolution.
