The Middle East is on high alert today after two oil tankers were hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman. One of the ships, the MT Front Altair, caught fire after a suspected torpedo attack and Iran says it has sunk - although the ship's Norwegian owner has denied the claim.



The Altair and the Kokuka Courageous were evacuated after sending distress signals - picked up by the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet - with 44 sailors rescued.



Britain has urged 'extreme caution' amid high tensions in the Middle East, just weeks after four tankers were attacked in a mysterious act of sabotage off the UAE coast which Washington believes was the work of Iran.... Iran said its search and rescue teams had picked up the 44 sailors from the two ships and taken them to the port of Jask. Norway has advised its ships to keep out of Iranian waters while Tehran has called the explosions 'suspicious'.

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. Expressing his misgivings on Twitter, Javad Zarif noted that the incidents on the two vessels on Thursday, one of which had been reportedly struck by a torpedo, had occurred as Abe sat down for “extensive and friendly” discussions with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

There is literally zero chance that Iran was involved in any of the six recent attacks in the Gulf of Oman:It is considerably more likely that the US Navy or the Israeli Navy were involved, although the most likely explanation is bombs planted by independent contractors. The weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were fake. The poison gas bombings in Syria were fake. These attacks in the Gulf are fake too.If Iran decides to attack shipping in the Gulf, there will be dozens of ships sinking, including warships. These little acts of sabotage are obvious false flags conducted by those trying to provoke war between the US and Iran.UPDATE: It doesn't appear either Iran or Japan are buying it This may have actually been more of a warning to Japan than an attempt to bang the war drum.

Labels: NeoCon, war