The United States accuses Iran of attacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf

A US military team conducted a preliminary badessment and concluded that Iranians or Iran's allies used explosives on Sunday to drill huge holes in four ships anchored off the UAE, said Monday a US official.

The boats have a hole of 1.5 by 3 meters, near or just below the waterline, added the manager, who asked to remain anonymous because he did not have the authority to testify about the l & # 39; investigation.. The team determined that the holes were caused by explosive charges.

The US team of experts was sent to investigate the damage to the request of the United Arab EmiratesBut the US authorities have not provided details about exactly what happened, nor any evidence of possible Iranian participation in the blasts.

Officials in the Persian Gulf said the attacks were due to sabotage. Two oilmen from Saudi Arabia, a ship with flag Norwegian and a supply ship with flag of Sharjah -one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates- They suffered similar damage on Sunday.

Washington has warned the ships that circulate in the area that "Iran or its allies" could tackle the maritime traffic in the region, and the White House sent extra ships and planes.

On the other hand, President Donald Trump warned Iran that he was doing "everything that looked like an attack, he would suffer considerably".

Asked about sabotage at a meeting in the Oval Office with the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, Trump replied: "If anything happened, Iran would have serious problems."

The details of the incident remain unclearbut the risks for carriers have increased in a region crucial for global energy supply and at a time of increasing tension between the United States and Iran over the disintegration of the nuclear agreement signed with several world powers.

Washington accuses Tehran of threatening US interests and its allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(With information from AFP)