The US released new images on June 17, claiming once again that sectarian Iranian forces attacked at least one petrochemical tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The photos were taken from a Navy MH-60R Seahawk, and they depict a similar scene as a grainy black and white video US Central Command that was released last week.
According to the US, the pictures show an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack craft coming alongside the Japanese-owned petrochemical tanker M/V Kokuka Courageou sand removed what CENTCOM claims to be a limpet mine.
In addition, images shot from alongside Kokuka Courageous taken from the crew of USS Bainbridge, present a greenish-grey base attached to the hull, what CENTCOM says is the remains of the removed mine.
Iran is responsible for the attack based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine
CENTCOM stated.
What is more, complementing the imagery, CENTCOM also released a detailed timeline of the attacks and the US response, however Iran continues to deny that they were responsible for the attack.
Despite this denial, in the beginning of this week, the US Pentagon deployed an additional 1,000 troops to US Central Command as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to be high.
The troop buildup comes after Iranian officials announced they were set to break a prohibition on stockpiling uranium in ten days and maybe start enriching uranium to levels that would breach the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The US suspended their involvement early on in the Trump administration and renewed sanctions on Iran.
