The four ships, including two Saudi tankers, were attacked by "naval mines almost certainly from Iran", Bolton told a press conference in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. US experts are part of a five-nation team that is investigating the May 12 attacks that damaged the four vessels in the Sea of Oman off the UAE emirate of Fujairah. Bolton said he would meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan as well as his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to discuss relations and regional tensions. Tehran called the attacks on the ships "alarming and regrettable", and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. Two days after the attacks on the ships, Yemen's Huthi rebels -- accused by Abu Dhabi and Riyadh of being proxies of Tehran -- hit a strategic diversionary pipeline in Saudi Arabia with two drones.

Source: Bangkok Post May 29, 2019 07:07 UTC