June 28, 2019
The three nations that own the oil tankers damaged last month off the UAE have told the United Nations their joint investigation strongly suggests a “state actor” was behind the explosions, but the probe stops short of pointing a finger at Tehran.
“While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor,” the UN was told June 6.
The Islamic Republic has charged that Israel bombed the tankers in an effort to tar Iran, but few believe that anyone other than Iran carried out the attacks.
The briefing on the investigation was given by UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi, and Norway’s Deputy Ambassador Mari Skare, to members of the Security Council. Two of the ships bombed flew the Saudi flag, one the Norwegian flag and one the UAE flag.
US military officials and the White House have definitively laid blame for the attack on Iran, as has Saudi Arabia.
The attacks took place May 12 in the Gulf of Oman, “within UAE territorial waters less than 12 nautical miles from the UAE coastline,” the investigation states. All four ships suffered damage, but there were no deaths or injuries to any crewmembers, and no ships were sunk.
Explaining its conclusion that a nation was likely behind the attack, rather than a criminal or terrorist group, the investigation found:
1—The attacks required intelligence capabilities for the deliberate selection of four oil tankers from among almost 200 vessels of all types that lay at anchor off Fujairah at the time of the attacks. One of the targets (one of the Saudi tankers) was at the opposite end of the anchorage area from the other three ships, which indicates that these were premeditated strikes, rather than targets picked at random.
2—The attacks required trained divers; the explosive charges were placed with a high degree of precision under the waterline, in ways that were designed to incapacitate the ships without sinking them or detonating their cargoes, indicating minute knowledge of the design of the targeted ships.
3—The attacks required a high degree of coordination among what most likely were several teams of operatives. This included the timed detonation of all four explosive charges, sequenced within less than an hour.
“The attacks required the expert navigation of fast boats,” the investigation states, “with understanding of the geographic area, that were able to intrude into UAE territorial waters and to exfiltrate the operatives after delivering the explosive charges.”
The initial findings showed that it was “highly likely” that four Limpet mines were magnetically attached to each ship’s hull.
While the report named no country. The Saudi ambassador told reporters after the briefing, “We believe the responsibility for this attack lies on the shoulders of Iran.” But the joint report did not say that, possibly because the Norwegians were unwilling to name any suspect.
US National Security Advisor John Bolton said last week that Iranian mines were likely used in the attacks. “There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who’s responsible for this,” Bolton said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Iran bombed the tankers as part of an effort to raise the price of oil while Washington works to end Iran’s exports of crude.
At the Pentagon, Rear Admiral Michael Gilday, speaking before the report, accused Iran’s Pasdaran of being directly responsible for the attacks.
In Tehran the day before the report was announced, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad dismissed all talk of Iranian involvement as a claim “fabricated” by Mossad, the Israeli spy agency.