As Twitchy reported early Thursday morning, the U.S. Navy was assisting two oil tankers that had been attacked in the Gulf of Oman near Iran. The Washington Post’s Beirut bureau chief almost immediately put the blame on President Trump after he “failed to heed the last tanker warning” and imposed more economic sanctions on Iran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a government intelligence assessment laid the blame at the feet of the Iranians.
JUST IN: Sec. of State Mike Pompeo: "It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today." https://t.co/up8fb7V91z pic.twitter.com/nrFAFYhB7i
— ABC News (@ABC) June 13, 2019
It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for today's attacks in the Gulf of Oman. These attacks are a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran. pic.twitter.com/cbLrWNU5S0
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 13, 2019
Without providing evidence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran was responsible for explosions on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier today.
He also blamed Iran for several other attacks on ships, oil facilities and other targets over the past month.
— NPR (@NPR) June 13, 2019
Of course, he didn’t provide evidence because the Trump administration does nothing but lie, right George Takei?
The scary issue with Pompeo’s assertion that Iran is responsible for bombing the tankers in the Gulf is that the American people don’t know whether to believe him. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE LIES TO US DAILY.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 13, 2019
Plenty of evidence has been made public since Thursday, but Newsweek isn’t sold, and even reported that “Others have pointed to the possibility that Thursday’s attacks, as well as the attacks on four tankers in the same waters a month ago, were so-called ‘false-flag’ operations carried out by Israel, another arch foe of Iran, to make Iran appear responsible.”
When intel agencies come out & definitively said Russia hacked the DNC, news networks (rightly) called out those who dismissed it.
But when those same agencies say (& provide evidence that) Iran attacked the tankers, some of the same networks parrot Iranian propoganda.
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) June 15, 2019
If your anti-administration posture leads you to dismiss evidence and intel findings and promote propoganda in defense of a terror regime, you might not be a credible source for news commentary.
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) June 15, 2019
Some of these are beyond despicable, and the silence from the same media reporters who call for platforms to punish other conspiracy theorists is deafening.
Example: Newsweek even baselessly speculated the attacks were a false flag operation by Israel. pic.twitter.com/3Uc9FHGl0v
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) June 15, 2019
"Others" and "some observers" are always code for "this writer and maybe some others in the newsroom".
— Lawyer Dog (@TheClarksTale) June 15, 2019
Right when I saw "false flag" I knew they would say Israel. So predictable.
— Johnny Wojtankowski (@wojtankowski) June 15, 2019
Are we the only ones who remember back in 2016 when Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels repeatedly harassed U.S. destroyers by doing intercept runs with their guns uncovered? But that was then; when the Iranian navy fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker in the Gulf, President Obama met with Iranian leaders at Camp David and said he discussed Iran’s destabilizing activities and his hopes to achieve “peace” and “good neighborliness” with Iran.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw dropped Ben “Iran Deal” Rhodes when he expressed doubt over Pompeo’s assertion, and Sen. Marco Rubio also called out the doubters Thursday:
Not just the intelligence shows Iran was behind gulf attacks,common sense does too.
It is a fact that only the #IRGC Navy has the ability to place mines like these. And only the #IRGC & its surrogates who can conduct fast boat attacks such as this one. https://t.co/jVBzOBoFdM
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 13, 2019
Those expressing skepticism #Iran was behind attacks should tell us who they think it was instead.
Make list of nations & groups in region with ability to attack large vessels out in gulf. It will become quickly apparent that Iran & its surrogates are only ones that make sense.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 13, 2019
There’s video if that helps.
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
"Wheres the proof?". "Here's a video of an Iranian patrol boat removing a limpet mine from the side of one the vessels that was attacked". Pause. "Where's the other proof".
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) June 15, 2019
It’s crazy how many people deeply want the perpetrator not to be Iran but either the U.S. or Israel.
Iran summons UK envoy over 'unfounded' tanker accusations https://t.co/CaZSSDhPU5 pic.twitter.com/d6XNTMI2fo
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) June 15, 2019
We’re not inclined to give Iran the benefit of the doubt … on anything.
Analysts who devote their words to warning about a pretext for a US war on Iran are evading the central issue of the war Iran is already waging in the region.
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) June 15, 2019
For those accusing anyone of warmongering but regime, here are the photos of those behind the attack on the oil tankers. Hope this images help them be less surprised or confused. pic.twitter.com/W5GOUxrinT
— بهاران ?? (@ForSyteSaga2013) June 15, 2019
Related:
Dan Crenshaw drops Ben Rhodes on his head over the Iran attack on two tankers https://t.co/vBNcEyjbKU
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2019
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