Iran’s foreign minister has labeled the reported attack on two “Japan-related” oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as “suspicious,” occurring just as Japanese Prime Minister Abe came to Tehran for major talks. Javad Zarif noted that the incidents on the two vessels, on 13 June 2019, had occurred as Abe sat down for “extensive and friendly” discussions with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
The Trump government says that the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous was attacked by Iran, using limpet mines. The president of the shipping company that owns the Kokuka Courageous has said that "a flying object" caused the damage the ship suffered in the attack in the Gulf of Oman on 13 June 2019. Yutaka Katada, president of shipping firm Kokuka Sangyo, citing accounts from the ship's crew, noted that the damage was well above the waterline.
"I really cannot begin to fathom how stupid you would have to be to believe that Iran would attack a Japanese oil tanker at the very moment that the Japanese Prime Minister was sitting down to friendly, US-disapproved talks in Tehran on economic cooperation that can help Iran survive the effects of US economic sanctions. The Gulf of Credibility - Craig Murray "The Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous was holed above the water line. That rules out a torpedo attack, which is the explanation being touted by the neo-cons. "The second vessel, the Front Altair, is Norwegian owned and 50% Russian crewed (the others being Filipinos).
"It is owned by Frontline, a massive tanker leasing company that also has a specific recordof being helpful to Iran in continuing to ship oil despite sanctions. "It was Iran that rescued the crews and helped bring the damaged vessels under control.