When explosions crippled two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on June 13, the incident immediately heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran and raised alarms about the security of a vital passageway for a third of the world’s petroleum. The U.S. blamed Iran for unprovoked attacks on the ship. “— present a clear threat.” Iran said American officials were “warmongering.” The main evidence the U.S. has presented to the public to support its claim are these photos and this surveillance footage taken several hours after the attack on one of the tankers. The footage has significant gaps, cuts out at key moments and zooms in and out. It does not depict a single sequence of events or an explosive being planted. Days later, the U.S. released new images to back up its claim. They don’t show definitively who is responsible for the attacks. But here’s what the images do show us. First, the tanker: We can confirm that this tanker, the Kokuka Courageous, is the same ship that was approached by the Iranian vessel. These distinctive features match. And shipping data confirms it was 20 miles off the coast of Iran when it was attacked. Next, the patrol boat, which does appear to be Iranian. It matches the model and dimensions of patrol boats used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy. The chevron pattern on the bow of the boat matches, and so does the center console. And they both have antiaircraft guns. An Iranian source familiar with the country’s military operations told us that this clearer picture of the same patrol boat does show an I.R.G.C. vessel. And the incident occurred in Iran’s area of responsibility. Last, the alleged mine: A U.S. Navy ship took this photograph before the Iranian patrol appeared. It shows damage to the ship and what appears to be an object protruding from the hull. The new images released by the U.S. Defense Department appear to show the outline of a limpet mine similar to this mine design on the right. The dimensions of the mine match. These markings match clasps used to attach the mine to the tanker and this remnant matches the size and design of those clasps. Weapons experts say this could resemble limpet mines that are available to Iran, but there’s still no conclusive proof that they are Iranian. So it appears that an Iranian boat did remove a limpet mine from the ship’s hull. But importantly, the pictures released by the U.S. lack the crucial piece of evidence: The moment the mine was placed. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that President Trump wants to avoid war. “President Trump does not want war. We will continue to communicate that message while doing the things that are necessary to protect American interests in the region.” Even still, the Defense Department decided to send 1,000 additional troops to the region in response. But as U.S.-Iran relations continue to crumble, this slim waterway will remain a hotbed of tension.