BRITISH and US claims that Iran is behind two oil tanker explosions are \u201cthe most dangerous threat of war\u201d yet, peace campaigners warned today.<\/p>\n
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the first to accuse Iran of having attacked Norway\u2019s Front Altair and Japan\u2019s Kokuka Courageous as the two tankers sailed through the Gulf of Oman yesterday.<\/p>\n
But journalist and peace campaigner John Pilger told the Morning Star there was \u201cnot a shred of evidence\u201d to suggest Iran was responsible and nobody should trust the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
Mr Pompeo, without presenting evidence to support his claim, said his allegations were \u201cbased on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation\u201d and more.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump repeated the claims today during an interview with Fox News, alleging that a video proves Tehran\u2019s guilt.<\/p>\n
The video is said to show an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boat approaching one of the tankers and removing an unexploded mine from its hull. But the ship\u2019s Japanese owner contradicted the US interpretation yesterday, saying footage showed something flying at the boat above the water line.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump promised the US won\u2019t \u201ctake it lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there was no reason not to believe the US\u2019s assessment, despite the cause of the explosion not yet being confirmed.<\/p>\n
The Tory Party leadership hopeful said \u201cour instinct is to believe it because they are our closest ally.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Mr Pilger said it was \u201cno exaggeration to say nothing coming out of the mouths of the Trump gang is believable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Iran attack a Japanese ship while it was hosting a friendly and solicitous Shinzo Abe in Tehran. There is, however, abundant historical evidence that the US has raised infamous false flags as a prelude to an attack. Iran has never been forgiven for throwing out the Shah\u2019s American-backed police state in 1979.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stop the War\u2019s Lindsey German said that the allegations are \u201cthe most dangerous threat of war in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
She told the Star: \u201cThere is no evidence Iran is behind the tanker attack but Pompeo is making the claim \u2014 of course backed up 100 per cent by Jeremy Hunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump and the US have escalated this crisis through sanctions and scrapping Iran\u2019s nuclear deal. The Tory Party leadership hopefuls will bang the drum for war.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must say no war on Iran \u2014 it will be a conflict involving Israel and Saudi against Iran and so the bloodiest Middle East war yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tudeh Party international secretary Navid Shomali told the Star the Iranian communist party is \u201cextremely concerned\u201d by the incident but found the developments and explanations \u201cvery quickly proffered by the US curious to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that the incident and the narrative around it \u201conly serves to benefit those working to produce the spark that ignites a military attack on Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Shomali said: \u201cThe Islamic Republic \u2014 preoccupied as always with its self-preservation at any cost \u2014 has tapered down its rhetoric and stepped back from a position of brinksmanship with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor any arm of its military or security apparatus to have been involved in these latest incidents \u2014 and be filmed in the act \u2014 would be bizarre.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Shomali said the culpability more likely lies with \u201cthose desperate to precipitate a military conflict with Iran,\u201d such as US security adviser John Bolton, Saudi or Israeli intelligence, or actors and mercenaries from Iran or countries in the region which are facilitated and supported by US intelligence services.<\/p>\n
Iranian officials have categorically denied the accusations.<\/p>\n
Chinese President Xi Jinping criticised Washington over the allegations and said China would build \u201csteady ties\u201d with Iran whatever the US did.<\/p>\n
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US was posing \u201ca serious threat to stability in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pressure that the US is exerting on Iran, China and other states is aimed at strengthening US hegemony on Asia and the whole world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tensions were raised between Tehran and Washington when Mr Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and reimposed sanctions that were lifted under the deal in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear work.<\/p>\n
Last month, Mr Trump moved to force Iran\u2019s oil customers to slash their imports to zero or face US financial sanctions.<\/p>\n