"You know they did it because you saw the boat," Trump told the "Fox and Friends" show
President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down in accusing Iran of executing explosions on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying the incident had Iran "written all over it."
However, as US-Iranian tensions soared, Trump dismissed previous threats by Tehran that in case of conflict it could block the Hormuz Strait - a narrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies.
"They're not going to be closing it," he said in an interview on Fox News television.
Speaking hours after the US military released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers, Trump said "Iran did do it."
"You know they did it because you saw the boat," Trump told the "Fox and Friends" show.
"I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it."
"You saw the boat at night, successfully trying to take the mine off - and that was exposed," he added.
Iran has repeatedly warned in the past that it could block the Hormuz Strait in a relatively low-tech, high-impact countermeasure to any attack by the far more powerful United States.
Doing so, would disrupt traffic of oil tankers between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which leads to the Indian Ocean and global export routes.
"If the hostility of enemies increase, we will be able to do so," Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, told semi-official ISNA in April.
Trump plays down the threat
"It's not going to be closed, it's not going to be closed for long and they know it. They've been told in very strong terms," Trump told Fox News.
US says video shows Iran was involved
American officials released images they said show that Iran was involved in an attack on an oil tanker near the entrance to the Arabian Gulf on Thursday, one of a pair of incidents that have raised tensions between the US and the Islamic Republic over the past day.
Video recorded by U.S aircraft of an IRGC Gashti-class patrol boat removing an unexploded limpet mine from M/T Kokuka Courageous. Courageous suffered an explosion while in #GulfofOman. Her 21 crew members were rescued by #USNavy destroyer #USSBainbridge. https://t.co/YpiEUALHWj pic.twitter.com/rjWKJN0qcf
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 14, 2019
"At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous (video attached)," Navy Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US military's Central Command, said in a statement.
An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had reviewed the video personally and said it clearly showed Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) approaching the vessel and removing the mine.
The video and photographs showing a boat alongside the hull of a larger vessel with a hole in its side were released by Central Command along with a timeline of the episode.
It was the first evidence publicly put forward by the US to support its claim - announced earlier on Thursday by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo - that Iran was behind the attacks. Iranian officials have rejected the accusation.
"Both vessels were in international waters in the Gulf of Oman approximately 10 nautical miles apart at the time of the distress calls," Urban said in a statement, adding that the crew of the Courageous was rescued by a Dutch tug and later taken aboard the USS Bainbridge. He said that the crew of the second tanker, the Front Altair, were put aboard a Revolutionary Guard Corp vessel.
Hours before Central Command provided its evidence to bolster the US accusations, Pompeo pinned the blame at Iran but declined to take questions from reporters.
"The United States will defend its forces, interests and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability," Pompeo said, noting that Iran had previously threatened to curtail oil transport in the Strait of Hormuz.
China calls for 'dialogue'
China on Friday called for "dialogue" after the United States accused Iran of being behind attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
"We hope that all the relevant sides can properly resolve their differences and resolve the conflict through dialogue and consultations," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing.
"This conforms with the interests of regional countries, and also conforms with the interests of the international community," he added.
Iran rejects US accusation
#UPDATE Iran dismisses as "baseless" US accusations that it carried out twin attacks that left two tankers ablaze in the Gulf of Omanhttps://t.co/DLBJpqKaT3 pic.twitter.com/akJP0KBFMv
— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 14, 2019
Iran "categorically rejects the U.S. unfounded claim with regard to 13 June oil tanker incidents and condemns it in the strongest possible terms," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday evening.
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