In a Parliament session on Sunday, Speaker Ali Larijani said the Thursday oil tankers incident in the Sea of Oman has all the markings of being carried out by the US after the country failed to achieve any results with their economic sanctions on Iran.
He said the US has a track record of fabricating tension to use it as a pretext for their aggression, noting the incidents during the world war in which Americans would target their own ships near Japan to give themselves an excuse to ramp up aggression against the Asian country.
“The funny part of the story is Pompeo’s remarks in which he has advised Iran to use diplomacy in response to diplomatic moves. He’s really a fine one to talk,” Larijani said.
He went on to note that there is nothing diplomatic in the US’ policy of maximum pressure, and its economic terrorism against Iran.
“Mr. Pompeo! Is violating commitments and waging an economic war against Iran a diplomatic move?”
Larijani also maintained that the US’ measures in Venezuela, or the arming of Saudi Arabia in their war against Yemen, or the support to the Israeli regime in its aggression against the Palestinians are not a political move.
On Thursday, two oil tankers – one sailing under a Panama flag and owned by Japan and another bearing the Marshall Islands’ ensign owned by Norwegian Frontline – were hit by yet unspecified accidents in the Sea of Oman. Iranian rescuers rushed to the assistance, transferring all of their 44 crew members to Iran's southern shores.
Following the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of carrying out the attacks without providing any evidence to back up his accusation.
In a statement on Thursday, the Iranian mission to the UN strongly rejected the “unfounded” US claims, warning of "another Iranophobic campaign" being waged by Washington and its allies.
Meanwhile, a UN Security Council held on Thursday to address the incident concluded with no results, despite the US efforts to pin the blame on Iran.
MNA/4641889