An oil tanker is seen after it was attacked at the Gulf of Oman, June 13, 2019.
ISNA | Reuters
Iran has denied that it was responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in the Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday blamed the Islamic Republic for the explosions on the oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s busiest sea lane for oil shipments.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Friday accused the U.S. of jumping “to make allegations against Iran—w/o a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence.”
Zarif called it a “sabotage diplomacy” and said it was a “cover up its #EconomicTerrorism against Iran. “
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attacks, but it comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Tehran has repeatedly threatened to block traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Earlier, Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a statement saying: “Iran categorically rejects the U.S. unfounded claim with regard to 13 June oil tanker incidents and condemns it in the strongest possible terms.”
— This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
CNBC’s Amanda Marcia, Natasha Turak, Tom DiChristopher and Reuters contributed to this report.
