Security Council Rejects Saudi/UAE Claim About a State Actor Attacking Their Vessels

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

On May 12, two Saudi and one Norwegian oil tankers were damaged in the Gulf of Oman, along with a UAE vessel — Iranian responsibility implied for what UAE authorities called a "sabotage attack" without laying blame for incident.

A joint UAE/US/French assessment said explosives likely damaged the vessels. Mike Pompeo falsely suggested likely Iranian responsibility for what happened. 

John Bolton blamed Tehran for the incident, along with an alleged attack on the Saudi oil port of Yanbu — despite no evidence suggesting the Islamic Republic's involvement in any regional attack on another country.

Bolton threatened Iran with "a very strong (US) response" if its regional interests are threatened.

In response to fabricated US and Israeli intelligence about an Iranian threat that doesn't exist, rubbish pushed by Pompeo, Bolton, and war secretary Patrick Shanahan, Combined Joint Task Force/Operation Inherent Resolve deputy commander UK General Chris Ghika said he's aware of no threat posed by Iran or "Iranian-backed forces," adding:

"We monitor them along with a whole range of others because that's the environment we're in. If the threat level…go(es) up, then we'll raise our force protection measures accordingly."

As of now, "(w)e don't see an increased threat from" Iran or its allies. Germany's Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff agreed with Ghika, saying "there is no concrete threat" from Iran to the US or  regional countries.

Claims about Iranian responsibility for sabotage to Saudi, UAE, and Norwegian vessels, as well as alleged involvement in other Persian Gulf incidents, have no validity. No evidence supports them.

During a Thursday Security Council session, a joint Saudi, UAE, Norway statement said the following:

"The assessment of the damage to the four vessels and the chemical analysis of the debris recovered revealed it was highly likely that limpet mines were used in the attacks on the four vessels on 12 May 2019," adding: 

"The attacks required trained divers. The explosive charges were placed with a high degree of precision under the waterline, in ways that were designed to incapacitate the ships without sinking them or detonating their cargoes - indicating minute knowledge of the design of the targeted ships." 

Blaming a "state actor" for the incident, the statement implied Iranian responsibility for what happened — despite no evidence suggesting it, no possible motive.

Saudi UN envoy Abdallah al-Mouallimi falsely said "responsibility for this attack lies on the shoulders of Iran."

Deputy Russian UN envoy Vladimir Safronkov debunked the claim for lack of evidence. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the incident a "false flag," staged to wrongfully blame Iran for what it had nothing to do with, tweeting the following:

"The (Trump regime's) #B_Team's boy (Bolton) who cries wolf is crying once again: this time Mossad is fabricating intelligence about (nonexistent) Iran(ian) involvement in (Gulf of Oman) sabotage…" 

"I've warned of 'accidents' and false flags—we know what happens when you believe their lies. We've been here (countless times) before, haven't we?"

Security Council members assigned no blame for the Gulf of Oman incident, bearing clear earmarks of a false flag attack to wrongfully blame Iran.

If it walks, looks, and quacks like a duck…

A Final Comment

In May, a dubious report by the German federal state of Bavaria's Office for the Protection of the Constitution falsely called Iran a "risk country (that's) making efforts to expand its conventional arsenal of weapons (to manufacture) nuclear, biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction." 

At the same time, the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern claimed "intelligence services of (Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and Syria) are involved in unlawful procurement activities in the field of proliferation, using globally oriented, conspiratorial business and commercial structures."

Reports like these surfaced before, including other hostile claims about Iran with no credible evidence supporting them.

The nuclear watchdog IAEA affirmed full Iranian compliance with JCPOA provisions in numerous assessments about its legitimate nuclear program with no military component.

Suggesting otherwise is likely US/Israeli-pushed disinformation about the Islamic Republic. Its military never attacked another country throughout the nation's 40-year history.

Seeking regional peace and stability, its ruling authorities threaten none now. 

False US/Israeli/Saudi claims otherwise are bald-faced Big Lies — nations involved in endless regional aggression, not Iran.

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