icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
14 Jun, 2019 21:45

Bernie says Gulf tanker attacks must not be used as ‘pretext’ for ‘disastrous’ war with Iran

Bernie says Gulf tanker attacks must not be used as ‘pretext’ for ‘disastrous’ war with Iran

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders came out swinging against Washington’s effort to pin blame on Iran for purported attacks on tanker ships in the Gulf of Oman, warning they are being used as a “pretext for war.”

The avowed democratic socialist took to Twitter on Friday to put the hawks on blast.

“The Gulf of Oman incident must not be used as a pretext for war with Iran,” Sanders said, adding that an attack on Iran would not only be illegal, but “an unmitigated disaster for the United States, Iran, the region, and the world.”

While it remains unclear what happened to the ships, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday declared that Iran had carried out the attacks on the two tanker vessels, but cited no evidence at the time. The UK followed suit the next day.

Also on rt.com ‘Iran written all over it’: Trump accuses Tehran of carrying out tanker attacks

The US military on Friday released a blurry video clip which officials say proves that commandos of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps had planted explosives on one of the ships, but the footage did not convince everyone.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who recently traveled to Tehran for a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, said the video was “not enough” to prove Iranian guilt.

Also on rt.com Cui bono? Iran has ‘no reason’ to torpedo oil tankers in Gulf of Oman & ‘go to war’

Iran, for its part, denies any involvement in the so-called attacks, with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif noting the odd timing of the incident and accusing the US of moving to “Plan B: Sabotage diplomacy” in an attempt to “cover up its economic terrorism” against the Iranians.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0