US accuses Iran of military action in Gulf
(B2) The Pentagon released on Friday (June 14) a video showing an inflatable boat at the base of a ship. For the Americans, it is clear, these are Iranian Revolutionary Guards removing a mine. Further proof, according to them, of Iran's involvement in the incidents that occurred on Thursday (June 13) in the Persian Gulf
Two tankers, one Norwegian tanker, the MT Front Altair, and a Japanese tanker, the MT Kokuka Courageous, were victims, in turn, on Thursday (June 13), of an explosion on board, of unknown origin. The official account given by theUS CentComm which commands operations in the Middle East certainly plays on transparency. But it appears incomplete and full of some inconsistencies.
The American account of events
US naval forces in the region received two separate distress calls on Thursday (June 13): one at 6:12 a.m. (local time) from the MT Front Altair, then a second at 7 a.m. MT Kokuka Courageous. The two ships were then in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman, approximately 10 nautical miles apart. The American destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) is about 40 nautical miles from theAltair at the time of the attack. As soon as the distress call is received, he heads towards the area.
At 8:09 p.m., an American aircraft observes a Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) class Hendijan and numerous fast attack machines (FAC / FIAC) in the vicinity of the MT Altair.
At 9:12 a.m., an American aircraft saw the FAC/FIAC pull an inflatable boat belonging to the MT Altair.
At 9:26 a.m., the Iranians ask the freighter Hyundai Dubai, who came to the aid of the sailors of the MT Altair, “ to hand over the crew to the Iranian FIAC. The ship complies with the request and transfers the crew to the Iranian FIACs. »
At 11:05 a.m. (more than 4 hours after the second alert), theUSS Bainbridge approaches the Dutch tug Coastal Ace, who rescued the 21 sailors from the crew of the MT Kokuka Courageous, who had abandoned their ship after discovering a unexploded suction cup mine on the hull. The Hendijan patrol boat " appeared to be attempting to reach the tug Coastal Ace before the USS Bainbridge. However, it is the latter who ultimately rescues the sailors at the request of the captain of the MT Kokuka Courageous. »
At 16:10 p.m., a Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) patrol boat approached the MT Kokuka Courageous and " is observed and recorded removing the unexploded sucker mine from the ship ».
Comment: This transparency is unusual to say the least. Governments are not in the habit of providing extracts of videos and photos so quickly. Let's be clear. These images do not show direct Iranian involvement in laying the mines or attacking the ships. They show Iranian ships coming, after the fact, to carry out what can be called a relief and security operation. In particular, one might wonder why American sailors did not intervene sooner to examine the ship and remove the mine, leaving the Iranians to do so.
(NGV)