The United States Navy on Wednesday displayed mine fragments it said it had removed from one of two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman last week.

The American naval forces said the mines bore a striking resemblance to Iranian ones.

Tehran has denied any involvement in last week’s blasts, as well as a May 12 strike on four oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates.near the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit route for global oil supplies among fears of broader confrontation in the Gulf region.

The U.S. military previously released images it said showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) removing an unexploded limpet mine from the Japanese-owned tanker Kokuka Courageous, which was hit by explosions along with the Norwegian-owned Front Altair ship on June 13.

“A US naval official said the fragments said to have been removed from the Kokuka Courageous were on display alongside a magnet purportedly left by the IRCG team allegedly captured on video.

The Japanese company that owns the Kokuka Courageous had said that its ship was damaged by two “flying objects”, but the naval official dismissed this.

 

Via Reuters