Just hours after remarks blaiming Iran for the recent incident in the Gulf of Oman by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, Central Command issued a statement claiming that it has evidence confirming these accusations. The statement claimed that Iranian forces were spotted removing “a probable unexploded limpet mine” from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.
The video released by Central Command shows a boat coming up to the side of the tanker. An individual stands up on the bow of the boat and removes some object from the tanker’s hull. The US says that the object is likely an unexploded mine.
The full text of Central Command statement:
“U.S. Naval Forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 6:12 a.m. local time from the motor tanker (M/T) Altair and a second one at 7a.m. local time from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.
Both vessels were in international waters in the Gulf of Oman approximately 10 nautical miles apart at the time of the distress calls. USS Bainbridge was approximately 40 nautical miles away from the M/T Altair at the time of the attack, and immediately began closing the distance.
At 8:09 a.m. local time a U.S. aircraft observed an IRGC Hendijan class patrol boat and multiple IRGC fast attack craft/fast inshore attack craft (FAC/FIAC) in the vicinity of the M/T Altair.
At 9:12 a.m. local time a U.S. aircraft observes the FAC/FIAC pull a raft from the M/T Altair from the water.
At 9:26 a.m. local time the Iranians requested that the motor vessel Hyundai Dubai, which had rescued the sailors from the M/T Altair, to turn the crew over to the Iranian FIACs. The motor vessel Hyundai Dubai complied with the request and transferred the crew of the M/T Altair to the Iranian FIACs.
At 11:05 a.m. local time USS Bainbridge approaches the Dutch tug Coastal Ace, which had rescued the crew of twenty-one sailors from the M/T Kokuka Courageous who had abandoned their ship after discovering a probable unexploded limpet mine on their hull following an initial explosion.
While the Hendijan patrol boat appeared to attempt to get to the tug Coastal Ace before USS Bainbridge, the mariners were rescued by USS Bainbridge at the request of the master of the M/T Kokuka Courageous. The rescued sailors are currently aboard USS Bainbridge.
At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous.
The U.S. and our partners in the region will take all necessary measures to defend ourselves and our interests. Today’s attacks are a clear threat to international freedom of navigation and freedom of commerce.
The U.S. and the international community, stand ready to defend our interests, including the freedom of navigation.
The United States has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East. However, we will defend our interests.
– attributable to Capt. Bill Urban, Lead Spokesman for U.S. Central Command”
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
While the statement seems to be pretty anti-Iranian, in fact, the US appears to be have no evidence to confirm that the supposed “mine” was Iranian. Bloomberg:
Senior administration officials said that at least one of the ships was attacked by mines. In a briefing with reporters, they showed a photo of a tanker, the Courageous, with a hole in its side caused by a mine that exploded, they said, and an undetonated mine lodged inside.
The officials said they didn’t know for sure whether the mines were Iranian. The U.S. concluded that Iran was responsible for the attacks based on intelligence sources and the absence of any better explanation, the officials said. They declined to elaborate on the intelligence sources.
On June 14, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that Washington should stop playing a blame game through “suspicious” attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East, describing the US behavior as “worrying”.
“The suspicious nature of incidents for oil tankers is not a joke. It is not only not funny, but it is also worrying and alarming,” Mousavi said in a statement.
The US and its allies have just got a fresh formal pretext for further economic and maybe even military agression against Iran. Who may have been interested in this?
Interesting and curious. Who and why?
I believe we’ll find out next week, but there is going to be a new event to talk about and if this was a failed attempt of a provocation. Most of the people will not follow up on the news and the only thing they’ll remember is going to be “The Iranian Sabotage”, even if proof shows that the mine has a Western or Western ally footprint. So much disinformation is throw at the populous that in a few years they won’t be able of differ between what’s real and what’s not.
In a few year??
This has been going on since 2000 at least! Maybe longer but im too young, cant confirm.
Same crap led to the Iraq war. The empire makes its own reality, similar to the Matrix!
Its been going on for a lot longer, Mike. I am old enough to recall the destruction of Rhodesia and other parts of Africa that were ‘gifted’ to brutal warlords who continue to persecute their populations to this day.
israeli commando……under the eyes and protection of u.s. navy
No.. Israel doesnt really care about human life..These attackers made sure the crew wouldnt get hurt..
Please! One has to be both amnesic and an idiot not to see this for the poorly executed, obvious false flag that it is.
THERE WILL FOLLOW MORE FALSE FLAGS SOON…… I DECLARE THE FALSE-FLAG-SEASON OPENED
You dont need so show Your behind again and again. But of course some might feel tempted under their bed blankets.
Listen Hasbarat: The Truth is Very VERY SIMPLE…..and as long as these Treacherous Parasitic Elitist Cockroaches continue to try to make us Believe their Lies….I will continue to KICK THEM & EVERYONE THAT BELONGS TO THEM IN THE NUTS…..DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BOY??!!
Video taken on 10 MAR 2016 of that specific patrol boat in service with the IRGC Navy as seen on CENTCOM press release: http://217.218.67.233/video//SiteVideo/20160311/irgc_drill.mp4
And here the PressTV article for such video: https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/03/10/454973/Iran-IRGC-Fadavi-Ashoura-Zolfaqar
jens the hasbara jew over here, yet again. Just join the circus, you just provoke everyone to laugh over here.
Doubting Thomas! :)
Boat used by the IRGC Navy as seen on CENTCOM video: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8_6tssVAAAYx4j.jpg
I’m not at all convinced of that. Look at the purposely grainy video and stop it at the front of the boat where the arrow shaped ridges are supposed to be. In the video, they are straight and much narrower. Even though the video is very grainy, even the lines down the side of the craft are not there and the front center hull looks as though it extends down into the water. I don’t see a windscreen in the video either. Not so on the pix you show. This might be an Iranian boat (a different model than you show), but if the Iranians deny it’s theirs, I will believe them.
Iran should show the mine. Determine the trigger mechanism. Check the waves if it was triggered remotely. The real smoking gun is if the mine had actually exploded as soon as the iranians tried to remove it. lol We would have seen spin like Iranians caught in the act. But there’s also the possibility that the Iranians might be covering their tracks.
Iran has survived US sanctions for many decades now, and in my opinion it demonstrates that the Iranian leadership in all spheres are NOT fools.
The US/Israel are desperate for a Cassus Belli , and in desperation people do very stupid things.
Except there was no mine. First the US said it was a torpedo, when people questioned why the damage was so minor, and above the waterline they changed the story to a mine. They are just children making up and changing the story at every new press conference.
Its ok ,Sinbad. YouTube, Twitter, Fakebook et al will only let the Truth be published :)
Shinzo Abe (American strategic ally) is in Tehran meeting with their leader to talk peace? In reality Japan just want to find a way to go around sanctions to be able to import Iranian crude. By coincidence one of the ships appeared to be of Japanese origin. The blast holes are symmetric, the distant between each hole shows a professional installation rather than something made by proxies. The sabotage was not meant to sink the ship, this shows concern for the ones onboard. In the last “sabotage” users in social media reported American and France fighter jets flying above the tankers at the time of the detonations. Iran’s military are not tribal apes, is a military force just like any, that being said, Is that how you approach an explosive device? USA says they rescued the crew, Iran’s media shows the crew safe and sound after being rescued. Who has more to gain from this? Where is the ship’s manifesto?
trump is trying to get Iran to the table to discuss and Abe is there to facilitate such meeting. it won’t work and trump won’t be able to brag of what a splendid deal maker he is and it will be fail againg, think north korea, think venezuela think a whole lot of places where the morons have been served egg on the face.
Such a fast dispatch of a USS Mason, it is almost like the knew beforehand.
All planned !
But that would be….dishonest!?!
Its aparrent that the US has ‘ Divine Intelligence from the Underworld. ‘
Both ships were picking up oil I believe to deliver to japan – another consequence ?, maybe a threat to Japan itself against as you say, having Iranian oil deliveries.
What happened is a pure US tradition since the US warmongers exist
220 wars years out of 229 existence years !
“THE ART OF WAR”
From 1945 until today – 20 to 30 million people killed by the USA
The USA “Genocides” Culture is awful
by Manlio Dinucci
It’s a fact, not an analysis, not even an opinion – the « free and open international order» promoted since 1945 by the United States has cost the lives of 20 to 30 million people throughout the world. No President, whoever he may be, has managed to slow the rhythm of this killing machine. https://www.voltairenet.org/article204021.html
as bad or worse than hitler, no two things about it- and still claim to be exceptional (in killing devastation and destruction of human environment and depriving children of a future) and that human values are respected, that the constitution is sacred and upheld and that free speech is one of the basis of the fair and just life in the disintegrating states of A. really nothing much to like there anymore.
Aside Caricatures, we know nothing about Hitler !
But human nature is always to accuse the others of what they are themselves doing !
The XX Century had 203 Millions Victims, 97% are pull bellow a stinky carpet, but 3% are daily in the Ashkenazi mainstream Medias !
The History biggest genocide was Undoubtedly the Bolshevik Gulags and easter Europe 1917 Bolshevik Pogrom !
Bolshevism Was Basically a Jewish Movement – The Historical Facts from Lenin to Andropov https://russia-insider.com/en/history/bolshevism-was-basically-jewish-movement-historical-facts-lenin-andropov/ri22603?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Aside that Churchill and Eisenhower were real “Monsters”
GERMAN HOLOCAUST GERMAN GENOCIDE: 9-15 Million Germans Killed 1945 – 1953 Post WW2 “The Morgenthau Plan” EISENHOWER’S DEATH CAMPS “A Forgotten Genocide” https://truedemocracyparty.net/2014/01/german-holocaust-german-genocide-9-to-15-million-germans-killed-1945-1953-the-morgenthau-plan-eisenhowers-death-camps-a-forgotten-genocide/
NB: My Conclusion is “If there is a true word in the Medias, Torah, Bible and Quran it’s a “Miracle” !
Both the Gulags and the Concentration camps are/were victories of western propaganda
Limpet mine, especially mill tech ones do not fail, clearly one was left behind for evidence, both mines where also placed where the damage was minimum.
This is just one big false flag show
why U.S. videos are always so blurred and out of focus? I have a simple Super8 camera that takes better images. I am disposed to donate it.
The video is so poor in quality, it tells us nothing.
A mini-ship of that nature might well have been built by America or Israel as a prop to be used for future efforts.
And we’ve no more reason to believe the blurry figures are Iranians than US Marines of IDF.
Well said “J”.
ISIS navy maybe?
It look like explosives only. It might be possible for ISIS.
The people on one of the ships, witnesses, say they were hit by flying objects. But you assert that they were hit by explosives, explosives that can’t do much damage. Your lies are so obvious.
Why should I lie.
Well of course because You already has decided, who did it and I am the next President of United States.
An UFO from Oman…Why not.
Is it evben allowed to say, thats no torpedo.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba96ed72b96a78ef5d2e605d33d913bea5f734a46ef3f75e2922fcaac4e2713e.jpg
The Gulf of Tonkin, 55 years ago. Now this pathetic effort….
Its a pilot boat or a small tug – IDDIOT.
A tug named Ace is even mentioned, but dont ring a bell, where You are.
A tug with outboard motors?
You get crazier every day.
Pilot. No warship.
Pilot boats are required to operate in all weather conditions, the pleasure craft in the video supplied by the USA is a fair weather boat. It’s no pilot boat moron.
A stone cant fly and my grandmother cant fly, therefore my grandmother is a stone :)
US was saying in UK MSM that Iran had torpedoed it.. they cant even get their lies straight
Yes that’s the first thing I heard, the first thing that came to my mind was “And how is it still floating?”
As far as I know, there are two ships; allegedly, one was torpedoed, one was mined…. now try and figure that out.
The Isareli navy has subs and torpedoes, And a motive. In March, Israeli Major General Yaakov Amidror published an op-ed (://www.tv7israelnews.com/the-logic-of-israels-actions-to-contain-iran-in-syria-and/)
“Israel is absolutely determined and prepared to act forcefully against Iran, which could lead to a full-scale war. Israel must win this struggle against Iran, one way or another.”
AND (here’s your motive!)
“Israel must enlist a reluctant US to take an active part in operations alongside it, and not only as a supportive observer from the sidelines.”
http://www.newsilkstrategies.com/military-affairs/israel-just-admitted-it-wants-to-drag-the-us-into-war-with-iran
Thank you.Vince!!
The brazeness and openess of israel in regards to this is obvious to all who look.
Sadly we are a blind society being led to slaughter.
” When any government, or any church for that matter,undertakes to say to its subjects ‘ This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, ‘ the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. ” Robert A. Heinlein.
It is not just blindness, Mike. It is religious blindness, the most dangerous of all. http://www.newsilkstrategies.com/news–analysis/popular-us-religious-cult-defiles-the-holy-land
Thanks Vince.
I did read that article of yours, but again you had that different comments section. Good article, thank for commenting here again.
As a total side issue, have you seen this – https://sputniknews.com/business/201906141075867449-eu-russia-reportedly-agree-ditch-dollar-bilateral-transactions/
Thanks for that Sputnik tip, Al. The main problem with the phony US conclusion is that the crew are saying there were flying objects coming toward the ship, and mines don’t fly.
They were ‘ Flying gefilte fish torpedoes ‘ I suppose. :)
A six year old could tell you who was responsible. Who are the ones absolutely gagging for a war with Iran in the last 30 odd years plus? Yet again another false flag staged by the Anglo Zionist Empire. They must think we’re complete morons.
They do :)
no torpedo -most likely a set up by the shipowners association to improve freight rates from the persian gulf and the red sea and extended voyage time having to go around africa at much higher rates, risk rates. a win win for shipping and the americans and not to mention the ever evil squatters, soon to be eliminated the hard and brutal way.
Like Us liberty, all Israel shit.
off the footage of removing the mine you can clearly see the waterline indication in white letters, picture taken by DDG 96 in daylight they are gone. Everything around the mine is blurred somehow
A Junior was tasked by CNN to manufacture the ‘facts’ again.
Video is so low in quality, can not see much. But, naval mines are at least 200kg heavy, without proper equipment they can not be moved to the boat’s deck. The other reason why not is that mine can explode if operated without expert’s care. Imagine yourself pulling it around, it has 80+kg of explosive inside.
Some limpet types have shaped charges incorperated like an RPG some missile warheads also. Some reports are suggesting it was a drone attack which would explain why the holes are above the water line instead of under. The photo is of damage to Greenpeaces Rainbow Warrior after a limpet mine attack by the French in a New Zealand harbour. Edit – cant seem to upload photos now –
If you remember the last two ships that were damaged, last week (?), even Saudi Arabia stated it was an internal group, they never once inferred Iran.
Put the fires out quickly then, didn’t they? Did they, (the fire and flames) extinguish themselves?
Iranian military announced before that the Strait of Hormuz and neighboring waters are under their control, now who is responsible for the laying of mines, if they controlled the specific body of waters??? The state who control this water is responsible for the safety of the tankers navigating therein..
What mines?
Just like ukrainians had respnsibility for mh370.
Didt stop ukraine from shooting the plane and blame the russians.
Iran needs trade to survive, the last thing it will do is.mine the gulf of.Oman.
Your argument is a straw man.
MH17 dumbazz 370 went in the drink and still not found . Russia shot down MH17 and its been proven , call the dutch they have your proof .
Well, reading and understanding is not your strength, I assume? You should read about the investigation, the falsifications and the somehow weird conclusions of the Dutch investigation, before you state such nonsense. A good start would be this, if you are open minded enough: https://www.corbettreport.com/what-really-happened-to-mh17-an-open-source-investigation/
Whatever shithead, you lie for a living, i missed aplane number big fucken wow.
You should be partying if your from Toronto!
Go fuck yourself fake canadian!
My Scarecrow has a better answer than ‘Romeo Pissio ‘ , Mike.
Do you know, you smoking stupid pig how heavy is anty ship mine? 2, 3 kilos? No, but 200 kg, you punk.
Its not like that in the US movies :)
mmmm, One of the tankers is owned by a European businessman ( Danish I think ) who has for many years transported Iranian oil, and the other tanker is a Japanese owned ship. The Prime Minister of Japan was actually IN Iran discussing trade deals with the Iranian government when this ship was attacked.
Few here will believe that the Iranians are so silly as to be responsible for these attacks.
Pompous Pompeo however has within a few hours nailed the culprit. No investigation with Loads of Malice of Forethought.
‘Likely’ is apparently PROOF – you know, proof as in beyond a reasonable doubt.
For your amusement:
CNN interviewing CIA MK-Ultra parrot-slave John Kirby and apologist for all that is evil Max Boot
CNN Reporter: Do you think Iran is Responsible?
Kirby: Absolutely, we have evidence that is likely beyond a reasonable doubt that proves Iran is responsible.
CNN Reporter tries to express surprise (FAIL): Really! Iran did it!!
At this point Max Boot interrupts: Why is Russia left out of this conversation? The despicable attack is so evil that Russia has to be involved… are you a Putin apologist!!!?
Kirby interrupts: Max, Max, Max, I understand your enthusiasm to blame Russia but you didn’t give me enough time to accuse Russia of training the Republican Guard terrorists for the mission. Without any need for evidence, I was going to throw the accusation out there as the next thing I would say
Max Boot, with a sheepish grin: Oh John, you are so right, it is just that I imagined it would be in your first statement but that might confuse the CNN reporter so…
The CNN Reporter is completely confused as the discussion has no resemblance to the tripe shown on the teleprompter and just as the reporter suffers a panic attack, CNN takes the interview off the air.
Another example of outstanding journalism at CNN
Haha Max Boot, what an absolute fuckhead.
To me the burden of proof has eroded in a projectionned joke!
As an aside , but linked I think. I have noticed that in recent years that the politically correct intuitive intelligence levels of Western special forces ( and to a lesser level ALL military and police recruits) recruits with the required emotional IQ have replaced the latter year ‘calculating’ abilities of recruits to perform special forces tasks.
The results being that today with satellite communications etc, they are often micro managed in the field by career ‘warriors’ ( political and military) from their comfy offices, who have little original thought and never have had.
Past special forces had the type of ‘thought processes’ that only people who have a rare form of acumen and mental agility can achieve.
Like any good detective story one needs to examine the motivation of potential suspects. The Saudi regime has most to gain and as we know with the killing of Kashoggi they are not above doing dirty deeds.
War against Iran with the lives of US troops is a wet Dream of Zionists in Israel as well :)
‘Likely’ is apparently PROOF – you know, proof as in beyond a reasonable doubt.
CNN interviewing CIA MK-Ultra parrot-slave John Kirby and apologist for all that is evil Max Boot
CNN Reporter: Do you think Iran is Responsible?
Kirby: Absolutely, we have evidence that is likely beyond a reasonable doubt that proves Iran is responsible.
CNN Reporter tries to express surprise (FAIL): Really! Iran did it!!
At this point Max Boot interrupts: Why is Russia left out of this conversation? The despicable attack is so evil that Russia has to be involved… are you a Putin apologist!!!?
Kirby interrupts: Max, Max, Max, I understand your enthusiasm to blame Russia but you didn’t give me enough time to accuse Russia of training the Republican Guard terrorists for the mission. Without any need for evidence, I was going to throw the accusation out there as the next thing I would say
Max Boot, with a sheepish grin: Oh John, you are so right, it is just that I imagined it would be in your first statement but that might confuse the CNN reporter so…
The CNN Reporter is completely confused as the discussion has no resemblance to the tripe shown on the teleprompter and just as the reporter suffers a panic attack, CNN takes the interview off the air.
Another example of outstanding journalism at CNN
Pompus blurry video “evidence” is even more laughable than Colin Powell at the UN, prior to the Iraq invasion.
Why is the video of such poor quality, the U.S. military can’t compete with cell phones?
The US Navy needs to upgrade to Huawei equipment I think. Its far better than the US made junk. Less money to buy as well :)
what a nice coincidence that these ships were only 40 nautical miles from the US destroyer. That sounds like too much luck in everything, especially when the US guys are also able to get video footage of the removel of unexploded ordonance. Let’s wait until Iran will show, what they removed from the ship.