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Saudi Arabia's crown prince blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and called on the international community to take a "decisive stand" but said in an interview published on Sunday that the kingdom does not want a war in the region.
Two tankers were struck by explosions on Thursday, the second attack in a month in the strategic shipping lane. The United States blamed it on Iran, sparking fears of broader regional conflagration and sending oil prices soaring. Iran has denied any role in the strikes south of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route and major transit route for oil.
The U.S. military on Friday released grainy footage, which it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers.
Video grab released by U.S. on June 14, 2019, reportedly shows an Iranian navy patrol boat approaching the Japanese operated methanol tanker Kokuka Courageous in the Gulf of Oman. /VCG Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the U.S. had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence."
Thursday's attack on two tankers, the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous that was carrying highly flammable methanol and the Norwegian-operated Front Altair, came around the time Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting with Iranian leaders in Tehran.
"The Iranian regime did not respect the Japanese prime minister's visit to Tehran and while he was there replied to his efforts by attacking two tankers, one of which was Japanese," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko (C) speaks to journalists during a press briefing, Tokyo, Japan, June 13, 2019. /VCG Photo
"The kingdom does not want a war in the region, but it will not hesitate to deal with any threats to its people, its sovereignty, or its vital interests," he said.
Tehran and Washington have both said they have no interest in a war, but they have done little to assuage concerns about the arch foes stumbling into conflict.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation. "It's very important to know the truth (and) that responsibilities are clarified," he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.
(With input from Reuters and AFP)