The US is hoping to “build international consensus” around what officials claim is Iran’s responsibility for damaging two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, as UK officials joined the US in formally accusing Iran of carrying out the attacks.

The efforts come after the US released grainy surveillance footage of an alleged Iran Revolutionary Guard patrol boat, with men who appear to remove a magnetic limpet mine on the hull of one of the ships.

The acting defence secretary, Patrick Shanahan, said the US was looking to “build international consensus to this international problem” on Friday.

The attack was not only a “US situation”, Mr Shanahan said. He listed several other countries that operated vessels in the waters. “When you look at the situation, a Norwegian ship, Japanese ship, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE,” Mr Shanahan said, referring to attacks a few weeks prior.

Oil prices have risen 3.4 per cent following the attack, which came in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping channel for international oil supplies. Insurance for ship operators in the area jumped 10 per cent.

Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, also uses the strait. On Saturday, the Saudi energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, said “there must be a rapid and decisive response to the threat” to secure Gulf energy supplies and consumer confidence, according to a tweet from the ministry.

The message was echoed by the Japanese industry minister, Hiroshige Seko, who said ministers agreed on the need to “work together to deal with the recent incidents from [an] energy security point of view”.

The US military released a video on Thursday, saying it showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind the explosions that damaged the Norwegian-owned Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous.

All 23 crew members of the Norwegian ship landed at Dubai International Airport on Saturday, according to a statement from the vessel’s operator

The UK officially joined the US in accusing Iran of perpetrating the attack on Friday night, in a statement from the foreign office saying: “It is almost certain that a branch of the Iranian military – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – attacked the two tankers on June 13th. No other state or non-state actor could plausibly have been responsible.”

The statement continued: “There is recent precedent for attacks by Iran against oil tankers. The Emirati-led investigation of the May 12th attack on four oil tankers near the port of Fujairah in the [UAE] concluded that it was conducted by a sophisticated state actor. We are confident that Iran bears responsibility for that attack.”

Although Donald Trump claimed the attacks had “Iran written all over” them, other heads of state have been more cautious in assigning blame.

The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, called for an independent investigation.

“It’s very important to know the truth and it’s very important that responsibilities are clarified. Obviously that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts,” Mr Guterres told reporters on Friday.

The German foreign minister was also cautious, saying the video released by US Central Command was “not enough” to make an assessment, according to ABC News.

Several world powers have meanwhile called for diplomatic efforts to lower tensions, including China and Russia, which have closer ties to Iran. The European Union called for “maximum restraint”.

Iran, meanwhile, has denied responsibility for the attack. Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, said the claims were like “false fabrications during World War I, the Vietnam war and Iraq war that were designed to instigate military interventions and armed conflicts in different parts of world.”

The attack came as the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, visited Iran in an attempt to mediate new talks on a nuclear agreement. One of the ships attacked was a Japanese vessel called the Kokuka Courageous. Iran is holding the mostly Russian crew of one of the ships, the Norwegian-owned Front Altair. – Guardian/Agencies </s> United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the truth needed to be established after two oil tankers were attacked this week in the Gulf of Oman.

Guterres told reporters that the international body condemned the attack.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the head of the Arab League, urged Iran to reverse course, after the United States blamed the country for the attacks, Reuters reported.

Iran’s mission to the UN said earlier that Tehran categorically rejects the “unfounded” US claim over Thursday’s attacks on the oil tankers. </s> Shortly after the crews of the two tankers attacked this week in the Gulf of Oman evacuated their stricken vessels, the ships that rescued them were surrounded by Iranian military boats and told to transfer the mariners into their custody, according to declassified U.S. intelligence reports obtained on Friday by CBS News.

One of the civilian rescue ships eventually complied with the Iranian military's request. The other did not. The new details help to paint a picture of what happened Thursday in the Gulf, near the vital shipping channel of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a third of the world's oil supply passes.

The U.S. has accused Iran of carrying out the attacks on the tankers — the second similar incident blamed on Iran in a month. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it "the latest in a series of attacks started by Iran and its surrogates against American and allied interests" aimed at "escalating tension."

He said the U.S. would defend its forces and interests in the region but gave no specifics about any plans for retaliation, and he took no questions.

A U.S. defense official quickly dismissed an Iranian claim on Thursday, soon after the attacks, that Iran sent search teams that rescued 44 sailors from the two vessels. The official told CBS News that claim was "patently false," and that it was an American destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, that picked up 21 crew members from one of the vessels.

The intelligence reports obtained by CBS News on Friday include a readout from the crew of the Hyundai Dubai, an oil tanker that came to the rescue when the stricken Front Altair issued a distress call after an explosion on Thursday. The crew of the Norwegian-owned Altair came aboard the Hyundai Dubai, according to the detailed readout from the rescuing vessel's crew.

About 10 minutes later, the Hyundai Dubai "was surrounded by Iranian military vessels who demanded the Ship's Master turn over the M/V FRONT ALTAIR mariners," according to the readout.

The captain of the vessel contacted his company's management, which told him to refuse the Iranian request, but the readout says he "stated he felt like he had no choice but to comply with Iranian demands" and he did hand the Front Altair's crew over to the Iranian vessels. The sailors, most of them Russian and Filipino, were taken to Iran and remained in Iranian custody, the Front Altair's owner Frontline told Reuters on Friday.

The other tanker that came under attack on Thursday was the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which issued a distress call after sustaining an explosion that caused a fire in its engine room.

The readout from the crew of the Kokuka said a Dutch vessel responded and positioned itself to inspect the damage to the tanker.

"The Dutch vessel reported to the Master an unusual object on the Starboard side, mid-ship, of the KOKUKA. The crew looked over the side and noticed an object they believed to be an explosive. Due to the ship carrying methanol and already suffering one explosion, the Master ordered the crew to abandon ship," according to the intelligence briefing.

The Dutch vessel took the sailors from the Kokuka aboard and moved to a safe distance.

The crew of an Iranian military vessel then asked the Dutch ship for permission to board, "so they could transfer personnel and render assistance to the crew. The Master of the KOKUKA spoke to the owner of his vessel and was instructed not to go aboard the Iranian vessel so he declined aid and thanked them."

The crew of the Dutch vessel and the Kokuka were able to see attached to the tanker, as they moved away from it, a "grey explosive," described as being about five feet wide and three feet tall, which the sailors said was protruding from the hull, three to six feet over the waterline.

U.S. officials have accused Iran of using limpet mines in the attacks this week — the same magnetic explosive devices allegedly used by Iranians in attacks on four tankers in the region last month. The devices can be affixed to the hull of a vessel, and can cause significant damage to a ship. They have not, however, been powerful enough to breach the double hulled vessels sufficiently as to capsize them.

The U.S. military said Thursday it had a video showing troops from Iran's Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from the Kokuka. The black-and-white video, as well as still photographs released by the U.S. military's Central Command, appeared to show a limpet mine on the Kokuka.

A U.S. official told CBS News senior national security correspondent David Martin on Friday that the U.S. had a forensic team aboard the Kokuka Courageous as it was being towed to port. Parts of the magnet which held the mine to the ship were still attached to the tanker's hull.

The official told CBS News that a commercial tug boat was sent to tow the Front Altair to port also, but that Iranian Navy vessels were preventing it from tying up to the tanker.

Why would Iran attack an oil tanker?

The waterways in the region are crucial to the global transportation of oil and gas: A third of all shipped oil comes through the area, and because the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway near where the attack took place, is right off the coast of Iran, it's a point of leverage for the country.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to cut off this vital artery whenever there is a dispute with the U.S. or its regional allies, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Tension between Iran and the U.S. has mounted steadily since the Trump administration's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated by the previous occupant of the White House.

As CBS News reported in early June, the admiral of the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier in the region, said one of his ship's primary missions is to safeguard the free flow of commerce through the Strait and the surrounding waterways. The Lincoln was sent specifically because of perceived threats from Iran — but as CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reported on Thursday, it doesn't appear to be proving much of a deterrent.

"On April 22nd, Iran promised the world it would interrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. It is now working to execute on that promise," Pompeo said Thursday.

Iran flatly denies any involvement in the tanker attacks, and has called the timing of Thursday's incidents "suspicious" as they came just as the Japanese leader was in Tehran trying to rekindle diplomacy.

Other nations, and the United Nations, have stressed the need to avoid "accidental" escalations in the region.

"I want to say how worried I am with the recent developments in the Gulf," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday. "We believe that the truth needs to be clearly established in relation to these attacks. We believe that responsibilities need to be clearly defined. And, as I said to the Security Council, the world cannot afford a major confrontation in the Gulf."

"It is very important to know the truth," Guterres said, before calling for "some independent entity" to verify the facts. He added that as secretary-general he cannot instigate an international investigation, but noted that the Security Council can. </s> Iran fired a surface-to-air missile on a US drone, hours before two tankers were hit by suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.

A US official told CNN that the missile missed the drone and fell into the water. While the official did not reveal whether the drone had footages of the attack being conducted, the source said that an American MQ-9 Reaper drone saw "Iranian vessels closing in on the tankers."

The source also claimed that another US drone was also shot down by an Iranian missile by alleged Houthi rebels a few days before the attack.

On Friday, the US military released the footage that showed Iran's Revolutionary Guard removing a limpet mine from one of the oil tankers. The video suggested that the Iranian armed force tried to remove evidence of its involvement from the attacks.

Following the release of the video, US President Donald Trump accused Iran's involvement saying that the attack had "Iran written all over it" in an interview.

The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, also blamed Iran for the recent attack and said, "Iran is lashing out because the regime wants our successful maximum pressure campaign lifted."

Iran has denied the accusations and asserted that the country is responsible for maintaining the security of the Strait of Hormuz economic corridor.

Regarding Mike Pompeo's statements, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said "Obviously, accusing Iran of such a suspicious and unfortunate incident is the simplest and the most convenient way for (US Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo and other US officials. These accusations are alarming."

On Friday, the Security General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called for an independent investigation of the incident by the security council.

"It's very important to know the truth and it's very important that responsibilities are clarified. Obviously, that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts," he said at a press conference.

Earlier this month, a UAE-led probe concluded that a "state actor" was most likely behind the attack on four oil tankers that took place on May 12 within UAE special economic zone waters, outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia and the US had accused Iran's involvement in the May attacks. </s> US President Donald Trump blames Iran for Gulf of Oman oil tanker attacks

US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and said the US wanted international consensus about the threat to shipping, despite Tehran denying involvement.

The attacks have raised fears of a confrontation in the vital oil shipping route at a time of increased tension between Iran and the US over American sanctions and military moves in the Middle East, Tehran's proxy groups in the region and its nuclear program.

"Iran did do it and you know they did it because you saw the boat," Mr Trump told Fox News.

He was referring to a video released on Thursday by the US military, which said it showed Iran's Revolutionary Guards were behind the blasts that struck the Norwegian-owned Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous at the mouth of the Gulf.

The US military said black-and-white footage it filmed from a US aircraft showed Iran's Guards on a patrol boat drawing up to the Kokuka Courageous and removing an unexploded limpet mine from its hull.

The Japanese-owned tanker, abandoned by its crew, was being towed to a port in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, after a Dutch firm said it had been appointed to salvage the ships.

The second tanker, the Front Altair, which was set ablaze by a blast, was still languishing at sea, although the fire that charred the hull had been extinguished.

Iran said the video proved nothing and that it was being made into a scapegoat.

"These accusations are alarming," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.

Iran had dismissed earlier US claims that it was behind the attacks and accused the US and its regional allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of "warmongering" by making accusations.

Last month, the US sharply tightened economic sanctions that are now damaging the economy of Iran. In response, Tehran has threatened to step up its nuclear activity.

Tehran also said it could block the Strait of Hormuz, the main route out for Middle Eastern oil, if its own exports were halted.

Mr Trump, who last year pulled the US out of an agreement between world powers and Tehran to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for some sanctions relief, said any move to close the Strait of Hormuz would not last long.

Last month Washington scrapped waivers that had allowed some countries to continue importing Iranian oil.

Iran's crude exports fell to about 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May, starving its economy of its main source of revenue.

US planning contingencies but does not want conflict

Tehran and Washington have both said they have no interest in starting a war.

But this has done little to assuage concerns that the two arch foes could stumble into a conflict.

Mr Trump's administration is focused on building international consensus following the attacks, US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said.

Asked whether he was considering sending more troops or military capabilities to the Middle East, Mr Shanahan said: "As you know we're always planning various contingencies."

But he emphasised the issue of building consensus.

"When you look at the situation, a Norwegian ship, a Japanese ship, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, 15 per cent of the world's oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

"So we obviously need to make contingency plans should the situation deteriorate. We also need to broaden our support for this international situation."

China, the European Union and others have called for restraint from all sides.

In a notable signal that close US allies are wary of Washington's position, Germany said the US video was not enough to apportion blame for Thursday's attack.

But British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt differed, saying no other state or non-state actor could have been responsible.

Oil prices rose about 1 per cent on Friday, reflecting market jitters.

Insurance costs for ships sailing through the Middle East have jumped by at least 10 per cent after the attacks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation of the attacks.

The tanker attacks took place while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan — a big buyer of Iranian oil until it was forced by the new US sanctions to stop — was visiting Tehran on a peacemaking mission, bringing a message from Mr Trump.

Iran dismissed Mr Trump's message, details of which were not made public.

"I do not see Trump as worthy of any message exchange, and I do not have any reply for him, now or in future," Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said.

Washington has also blamed Iran or its proxies for attacks on May 12 that crippled four oil tankers in the same area, and has said Tehran was behind May 14 drone strikes on two Saudi oil-pumping stations. Tehran has denied all those charges. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- A Japanese tanker, one of two vessels attacked in sensitiveGulf waters this week, was heading to port Saturday, its owners said.The United Arab Emirates called on world powers "tosecure international navigation and access to energy" after the incidentThursday, which sent crude prices soaring amid a tense standoff between Iranand the US.The Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly flammable methanolthrough the Gulf of Oman when was rocked by explosions, causing a blaze thatwas quickly extinguished.US President Donald Trump said the twin attack, which alsotargeted a tanker owned by Oslo-listed company Frontline, had Iran"written all over it".He was speaking hours after the US military released grainyfootage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexplodedlimpet mine" from one of the tankers.Iran has repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, anarrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies, in the case of a conflict withthe US.But the UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed AlNahyan, whose country is bitterly opposed to Iranian influence in the region,called Saturday for a de-escalation in tensions."We remain hopeful in attaining a broader framework forcooperation with Iran," he said at a summit in Bulgaria.Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said an"international consensus" was needed to resolve the situation.The Japanese tanker's Tokyo-based operator Kokuka confirmedSaturday the vessel was heading to port in the United Arab Emirates."We still don't know if the tanker goes to Khor Fakkanor Fujairah as they are very close," said a spokesman, referring to twoEmirati ports on the Gulf of Oman.Maritime experts would then seek to transfer its highlyflammable cargo to shore, according to an unnamed official quoted by Japanesestate media."From a viewpoint of global energy security, it isnecessary for the international community to jointly deal with the act,"said Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko at a G20 energy and environmentmeeting in Japan on Saturday.The other ship which came under attack, theNorwegian-operated Front Altair, was being towed away from Iranian waters andwould undergo a damage assessment later Saturday, said a spokeswoman for itsoperator."The 23 crew members of the 'Front Altair' remain safeand well, with plans being made for their repatriation soonest," sheadded.'Allegations against Iran'Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted thatthe US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without ashred of factual or circumstantial evidence."The United States has also accused Iran over May 12 sabotageattacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off Fujairah.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for anindependent investigation."It's very important to know the truth (and) thatresponsibilities are clarified," he told reporters at UN headquarters inNew York."Obviously that can only be done if there is anindependent entity that verifies those facts."The oil tankers hit Thursday morning were 10 nautical milesapart and headed to Asia when they were struck by explosions after passingthrough the Strait of Hormuz, some 25 nautical miles off Iran's southern coast.The Front Altair was carrying naphtha, a refined petroleumproduct, when it was hit by three explosions, according to Norwegian officials.Blocking the Strait of Hormuz would be a relativelylow-tech, high-impact countermeasure Iran could take against any attack by theUnited States, and would severely disrupt global oil supplies.But Trump played down the threat."It's not going to be closed, it's not going to beclosed for long and they know it. They've been told in very strong terms,"he said. </s> The United States on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers at the entrance to the Gulf, and said it was seeking international consensus about the threat to shipping, despite Teheran denying involvement in the explosions at sea.

[WASHINGTON] The United States on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers at the entrance to the Gulf, and said it was seeking international consensus about the threat to shipping, despite Teheran denying involvement in the explosions at sea.

Thursday's attacks raised fears of a confrontation in the vital oil shipping route at a time of increased tension between Iran and the United States over US sanctions and military moves in the Middle East, Teheran's proxy groups in the region and its nuclear programme.

"Iran did do it and you know they did it because you saw the boat," US President Donald Trump told Fox News.

He was referring to a video released on Thursday by the US military which said it showed Iran's Revolutionary Guards were behind the blasts that struck the Norwegian-owned Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous in the Gulf of Oman, at the mouth of the Gulf.

Iran said the video proved nothing and that it was being made into a scapegoat.

"These accusations are alarming," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.

Iran has dismissed earlier US charges that it was behind the attacks and has accused the United States and its regional allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of "warmongering" by making accusations against it.

Last month, the United States sharply tightened economic sanctions that are damaging the economy of Iran, which in response has threatened to step up its nuclear activity.

Teheran has said it could block the Strait of Hormuz, the main route out for Middle Eastern oil, if its own exports were halted.

Mr Trump, who last year pulled the United States out of an agreement between world powers and Teheran to curb Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for some sanctions relief, said any move to close the Strait of Hormuz would not last long but added that he was open to negotiations with Iran.

Iran has repeatedly said it will not re-enter talks with the United States unless it reverses Mr Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Teheran and Washington have both said they have no interest in starting a war. But this has done little to assuage concerns that the two arch foes could stumble into a conflict.

Mr Trump's administration is focused on building international consensus following the attacks, US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said.

Asked whether he was considering sending more troops or military capabilities to the Middle East, Mr Shanahan said: "As you know we're always planning various contingencies."

But he emphasised the issue of building consensus.

"When you look at the situation, a Norwegian ship, a Japanese ship, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, 15 per cent of the world's oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

"So we obviously need to make contingency plans should the situation deteriorate. We also need to broaden our support for this international situation," he told reporters.

Oil prices rose about 1 per cent on Friday, reflecting the jitters. Insurance costs for ships sailing through the Middle East have jumped by at least 10 per cent after the attacks, ship insurers said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation of the attacks.

The tanker attacks took place while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan - a big buyer of Iranian oil until it was forced by the new US sanctions to stop - was visiting Teheran on a peacemaking mission, bringing a message from Mr Trump.

Iran dismissed Mr Trump's message, details of which were not made public.

"I do not see Trump as worthy of any message exchange, and I do not have any reply for him, now or in future," Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said.

Washington has also blamed Iran or its proxies for attacks on May 12 that crippled four oil tankers in the same area, and has said Teheran was behind May 14 drone strikes on two Saudi oil-pumping stations. Teheran has denied all those charges.

The US military said black-and-white footage it filmed from a US aircraft showed Iran's Guards on a patrol boat drawing up to the Kokuka Courageous and removing an unexploded limpet mine from its hull.

The Japanese-owned tanker, abandoned by its crew, was being towed to a port in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, after a Dutch firm said it had been appointed to salvage the ships.

The second tanker, the Front Altair, which was set ablaze by a blast, was still languishing at sea, although the fire that had charred the hull had been put out.

Iranian military fast-boats in the Gulf of Oman were preventing two privately owned tug boats from towing away the Front Altair, a US official said on Friday.

China, the European Union and others have called for restraint from all sides. In a notable signal that close US allies are wary of Washington's position, Germany said the US video was not enough to apportion blame for Thursday's attack.

But British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt differed, saying no other state or non-state actor could have been responsible.

Last month, Washington scrapped waivers that had allowed some countries to continue importing Iranian oil, effectively ordering all countries to blacklist Iran or face sanctions themselves.

Iran's crude exports fell to about 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May, starving Iran's economy of its main source of revenue.

Iran says it is still abiding by the terms of the nuclear deal, but cannot do so indefinitely unless it receives some of the economic benefits that were promised.

There have been conflicting accounts of the cause of Thursday's blasts. An initial report that Kokuka Courageous was struck by a torpedo was dismissed by a source familiar with the issue. The owner of the tanker, which carried methanol, later said it was hit by two "flying objects".

Iranian TV showed 23 crew in Iran believed to be from Front Altair on Friday, and said its experts would assess whether they could return to the ship. The crew from Kokuka Courageous were picked up and handed to a US Navy ship on Thursday. </s> António Guterres in as 9th UN Secretary-General, Ban out

António Guterres assumed office on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, as the ninth UN Secretary-General after Ban Ki-moon’s exit following the completion of a 10 year- tenure on Saturday, Dec. 31. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Guterres, in his maiden message as the UN Secretary-General, entitled: “Appeal for Peace”, urged the world to…

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> Two oil tankers were hit in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman and the crews have been evacuated, shipping firms and industry sources said on Thursday, a month after a similar incident in which four tankers in the region were struck.

The Bahrain-based US Navy Fifth Fleet said its were assisting the tankers after receiving distress calls following "reported attacks". The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, part of the Royal Navy, said it was investigating.

Details of the incident were not immediately clear, but one operator said it suspected its ship had been hit by a torpedo. Another shipping firm said its vessel was on fire in the Gulf of Oman.

Oil prices surged by 4% after the report that has stoked tensions in the region that have already been heightened by attacks last month on Gulf oil assets amid a dispute between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The Gulf of Oman lies at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a major strategic waterway through which a fifth of global oil consumption passes from Middle East producers.

There was no immediate confirmation from authorities in Oman or the United Arab Emirates, in whose territorial waters four tankers were hit last month. An investigation said limpet mines were used. U.S. and Saudi officials blamed Iran for the May attack, a charge Tehran has denied.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said the attacks on oil assets in the Gulf posed a risk to global oil supplies and regional security.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an independent investigation to establish the facts and responsibility for the oil tankers attacks in the Gulf of Oman.