Iranian gunboats reportedly tried to round up the crews of both tankers attacked Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, but were only able to take one crew into custody, according to a Fox News report and U.S. Central Command.

Sailors on the Front Altair were reportedly first rescued by the Hyundai Dubai, however, Iranian gunboats closed in and demanded the crew be turned over, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

The statement said that aircraft dispatched to the attack site observed “an IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) Hendijan class patrol boat and multiple IRGC fast attack craft/fast inshore attack craft (FAC/FIAC) in the vicinity of the M/T Altair.”

The statement said that the Iranian craft acted aggressively.

“(T)he 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,” the statement said.

In the meantime, the statement said 21 sailors from the Kokuka Courageous were picked up by the Coastal Ace, a Dutch tugboat, and then transferred to the destroyer USS Bainbridge.

“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 statement said.

The 23 crew members from the Front Altair are now being held in Iran, Fox News reported.

Iran was quick to show an image of what it says is the sailors in good health.

Iran’s English-language Press TV showed film and images and said they were in “full health.”

“This video refutes false reports by some media outlets claiming that Iran avoided help the sailors working on the vessel,” Press TV said. It said that of the 23 people in the crew 11 were Russian, 11 Filipino and one Georgian.

It is unclear when the sailors will leave Iran.

USS Mason, a guided-missile destroyer, is now patrolling the area of the Gulf of Oman where the attacks took place.

RELATED: US Navy Releases Footage of Tanker Attack Aftermath That Has ‘Iran Written All Over It,’ Trump Says

The U.S. has blamed Iran for the attacks and on Thursday, released video of what it said was an Iranian vessel removing an unexploded mine from the hull of the Kokuka Courageous.

“You saw the boat. It has Iran written all over it,” President Donald Trump said during an interview Friday on “Fox & Friends.”

“They didn’t want the evidence left behind. They don’t know that we have things that we can detect in the dark that work very well. We have that. It was them that did it,” he said.

Iran has denied any role in the attacks.

“Fire has been contained on both tankers … We have sent experts to evaluate whether the crew rescued by Iran can return to (one) tanker,” Allahmorad Afifipour, head of ports in the Iranian province of Hormozgan, said, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile late Thursday, Yutaka Katada, president of Kokuka Sangyo shipping company which owns the Kokuka Courageous, said he doubted a mine caused the damage to his vessel.

“Our crew said that the ship was attacked by a flying object,” he said according to The New York Times.

He stated that the holes in the ship’s hull were above its waterline.

“There is zero possibility that they were torpedoes,” he said.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </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> • An oil tanker is on fire after it was hit by apparent attacks in the Gulf of Oman.
• A tanker owned by Norwegian company Frontline is on fire and the company that chartered the ship said it is “suspected of being hit by a torpedo,” but Frontline said that the crew is safe.
• A second tanker, also damaged in a “suspected attack,” has been evacuated, with one person injured.
• The US and UK Navies are responding to the incidents in the waters off Iran, an important oil-carrying route that has seen tensions between Iran and US tankers.

A photo shows an oil tanker on fire off the coast of Iran after two oil tankers in the region were hit by unexplained attacks.

The image, published by Iranian state media, shows the burning Front Altair, a tanker owned by Norwegian company Frontline that has now been evacuated.

Frontline told Reuters on Thursday that the shop was on fire but that its crew had been rescued. It denied reports that the ship sank.

Taiwan’s state oil refiner CPC, which had chartered the ship, said that it was “suspected of being hit by a torpedo.”

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement also told Reuters that a second tanker, the Kokuka Courageous was damaged, in a “suspected attack.”

The company said in a statement said that the 21 crew members “abandoned ship” after the ship’s hull was damaged. One cew member was “slightly injured,” it said.

Read more: Oil is surging after a suspected torpedo attack on 2 tankers in the Gulf of Oman

It said that the ship, which is 14 nautical miles from Iran’s coast, is “remains in the area and is not in any danger of sinking.” The methanol it was transporting, which is a flammable substance, is “intact,” it said.

The company said it has “launched a full-scale emergency response.”

A US Navy fleet said it was aware of a “reported attack” on the vessells after it recieved two separate distress calls. It said its ships are “in the area and rendering assistance.” Reuters reported that a part of the UK’s Royal Navy said it was investigating.

Oil prices are rising after the incident.

A source told Reuters that the Bernhard Schulte tanker may have been hit by a mine.

The US claimed earlier in June that Iran attacked four oil tankers with limpet mines, but Iran denies the charge.

The Gulf of Oman leads to the Strait of Hormuz, which is shared by Iran and Oman and where a third of the world’s oil passes through.

US ships travel through the area, though Iran has threatened to close it off and tensions have flared between the two countries with reports that oil tankers are being targeted. </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> 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> Oil Tankers Attacked Near Oman Are Now in U.A.E. Waters

(Bloomberg) -- Damaged oil tankers that were attacked in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday are now near the United Arab Emirates ports of Kalba and Fujairah.
• Front Altair arrived in the early hours of Monday morning, according to tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Operator Frontline said it would assess the vessel’s condition and consider a ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo.
• Kokuka Courageous was towed by the USS Bainbridge to the same area on Saturday, according to a Fifth Fleet spokesman and the data.

The attacks have heightened fears of more assaults on commercial vessels after four ships were targeted off the coast of the United Arab Emirates last month. The U.S. deployed naval and air force assets to the region in response to the elevated risk.

Iranian forces were likely responsible for Thursday’s strikes, according to a report from DNK, the insurer of one of the ships. The Norwegian insurer raised its risk assessment for the region and said anti-ship missiles fired from a naval asset were probably used in the attacks.

To contact the reporter on this story: Verity Ratcliffe in Dubai at vratcliffe1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at nrazzouk2@bloomberg.net, Mohammed Aly Sergie </s> The U.S. military on Friday released a video it said showed Iran's Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the oil tankers targeted near the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting the Islamic Republic sought to remove evidence of its involvement from the scene.

The U.S. Navy rushed to assist the stricken vessels in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran, including one that was set ablaze Thursday by an explosion.

The ships' operators offered no immediate explanation on who or what caused the damage against the Norwegian-owned MT Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous. Each was loaded with petroleum products, and the Front Altair burned for hours, sending up a column of thick, black smoke.

'It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the State Department.

'This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to executive the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication.'

Iran has denied being involved in the attack, calling it an 'unfounded claim' in the U.S.' 'Iranophobic campaign.' However, Iran previously used mines against oil tankers in 1987 and 1988 in the 'Tanker War,' when the U.S. Navy escorted ships through the region.

The black-and-white footage, as well as still photographs released by the U.S. military's Central Command, appeared to show the limpet mine on the Kokuka Courageous.

A Revolutionary Guard patrol boat pulled alongside the ship and removed the mine, Central Command spokesman Capt. Bill Urban said.

'The U.S. and the international community stand ready to defend our interests, including the freedom of navigation,' Urban said. 'The United States has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East. However, we will defend our interests.'

Iran earlier denied involvement via a statement from its mission to the United Nations.

'The U.S. economic war and terrorism against the Iranian people as well as its massive military presence in the region have been and continue to be the main sources of insecurity and instability in the wider Persian Gulf region and the most significant threat to its peace and security,' the statement said.

The suspected attacks occurred at dawn Thursday about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the southern coast of Iran.

The Front Altair, loaded with the flammable hydrocarbon mixture naphtha from the United Arab Emirates, radioed for help as it caught fire. A short time later, the Kokuka Courageous, loaded with methanol from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, also called for help.

The U.S. Navy sent a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, to assist, said Cmdr. Joshua Frey, a 5th Fleet spokesman. He described the ships as being hit in a 'reported attack,' without elaborating.

Thursday's attack resembled that of an attack in May targeting four oil tankers off the nearby Emirati port of Fujairah. U.S. officials similarly accused Iran of targeting the ships with limpet mines, which are magnetic and attach to the hulls of a ship. The mines disable, but don't sink, a vessel. </s> The US military has released a video it said showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the oil tankers targeted near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Navy rushed to assist the stricken vessels in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran, including one that was set ablaze on Thursday by an explosion.

The ships’ operators offered no immediate explanation on who or what caused the damage against the Norwegian-owned MT Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous.

Each was loaded with petroleum products, and the Front Altair burned for hours, sending up a column of thick black smoke.

Iran has denied being involved in the attack, calling it an “unfounded claim” in the US’s “Iranophobic campaign”.

However, Iran previously used mines against oil tankers in 1987 and 1988 in the Tanker War, when the US Navy escorted ships through the region.

The black-and-white footage, as well as still photographs released by the US military’s Central Command, appeared to show the limpet mine on the Kokuka Courageous.

A Revolutionary Guard patrol boat pulled alongside the ship and removed the mine, Central Command spokesman Captain Bill Urban said.

“The US and the international community stand ready to defend our interests, including the freedom of navigation,” Capt Urban said.

“The United States has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East. However, we will defend our interests.”

Iran earlier denied involvement in a statement from its mission to the United Nations.

“The US economic war and terrorism against the Iranian people as well as its massive military presence in the region have been and continue to be the main sources of insecurity and instability in the wider Persian Gulf region and the most significant threat to its peace and security,” the statement said.

The suspected attacks occurred at dawn on Thursday about 25 miles off the southern coast of Iran.

The Front Altair, loaded with the flammable hydrocarbon mixture naphtha from the United Arab Emirates, radioed for help as it caught fire.

A short time later, the Kokuka Courageous, loaded with methanol from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, also called for help.

The US Navy sent a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, to assist, said Commander Joshua Frey, a 5th Fleet spokesman. He described the ships as being hit in a “reported attack”.

Thursday’s attack resembled another in May that targeted four oil tankers off the nearby Emirati port of Fujairah.

US officials similarly accused Iran of targeting the ships with limpet mines, which are magnetic and attach to the hulls of a ship. The mines disable but do not sink a vessel. </s> What The U.S. Military Knows About The Attacks On Oil Tankers In The Gulf Of Oman

Before the two tankers were attacked Thursday there were four other ships attacked in the last month around the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy watches the sea lanes there closely.

These two tankers that were attacked yesterday in the Gulf of Oman weren't the only ones. Four other ships were attacked in the region in just the last month. The U.S. Navy watches the sea lanes there closely. NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman has been reporting on what the military knows. He joins us now. And Tom, let's just talk about what you've learned so far starting with where those two tankers are now.

TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Well, Audie, I'm told one of the ships, the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, is being towed by tugs. The fire is out on the vessel. Crew's back on board, and the destroyer USS Bainbridge is on overwatch. This second vessel, the Norwegian-owned Front Altair - tug operators are saying they've been told by Iranian fast boat operators not to move the ship according to U.S. military officials, and they say that's what the tug operators are telling their company officials in Oman.

CORNISH: What more is the U.S. saying about what happened?

BOWMAN: Well, U.S. military personnel are now inspecting this ship, the Courageous, and saying it appears an explosive device left a hole that folds in, meaning it was not an internal but rather an external explosion. They also say they're pulling off what appears to be a mine or two and seeing scorchers on the ship. We could see pictures of that.

And of course as we just learned, the president is saying Iran did it. The Pentagon released this video they say is an Iranian ship taking a limpet mine off one of the tankers. Iran denies any involvement. The foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, said the U.S. has immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence.

CORNISH: In the meantime, are there plans to send any more U.S. ships to the area?

BOWMAN: Well, the Bainbridge is there, of course. And another destroyer, the USS Mason, which was off Karachi, Pakistan, is now off Oman. I'm told it's possible you could see other ships and aircraft heading there in the coming days. That's something that the top military officer for the region, General Frank McKenzie, was asking about even before these explosions.

CORNISH: Tom, I want to step back and look at some of the history here because some people may remember the so-called tanker wars of the 1980s. And at that time, as Iran and Iraq fought, they attacked ships, so then the U.S. began escorting some ships through those waters. Is that something we could see again?

BOWMAN: You know, we could see that again. And of course, Audie, during the tanker war, it got very complicated very quickly. The U.S. ended up firing on Iranian ships and shot down an Iranian airliner. And four years ago, there was a week-long escort effort after Iranian fast boats grabbed the crew of the container ship and brought them off Iran.

Now, this effort, I'm told, is - requires a good number of ships. And I was just talking with Ash Carter, the former defense secretary just yesterday. And he said, you know, it requires a lot of planning. And it's not something you do lightly.

CORNISH: Tom, before I let you go, do you get any sense that the Pentagon feels like they're on the defensive here in terms of explaining themselves?

BOWMAN: No, they think the evidence is pretty clear. But again, there's skepticism, as we heard in Europe. There's skepticism obviously from Iran. And they may offer Congress a little more detailed information maybe that they can't publicly release. And I'm thinking about, you know, radio intercepts from this ship maybe back to Iran if that's the case, if it was Iranian. And also, you can track these ships, of course. Did this ship come from an Iranian port? So there's a lot more they could provide, and I'm sure they have it.
A U.S. official says Iranian Navy gunboats are preventing the damaged Norwegian-owned Front Altair oil tanker from being towed away by two private tugboats in the Gulf of Oman.