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Russia warned against "unfounded accusations" and a "sober evaluation of evidence" after Iran and the United States had exchanged accusations over attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Georgia. Oman.
The mysterious incidents, which caused damage to two oil companies last week, have heightened the already strong tensions between Tehran and Washington, prompting fears of a regional conflagration and soaring oil prices.
Russia's appeal was launched on Sunday as Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom subscribed to Washington's badessment that Iran was responsible for Thursday's incidents, leaving a tanker in flames and both on the ground. drift in the Gulf.
At the same time, the British position provoked a diplomatic protest from Tehran, which vehemently refutes US claims.
Back in Washington, Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, has suggested to the United States to have organized tanker attacks because of "the failure of its severe sanctions" against Tehran, according to the official news agency IRNA.
The United States has reimposed and strengthened its punitive sanctions against Iran over the past year since the signing of an international agreement that provided for a reduction of sanctions against Tehran. in exchange for a reduction of its nuclear program. US President Donald Trump said the "maximum pressure" campaign was aimed at forcing Iran to negotiate a new agreement that also includes its ballistic missile program and support for regional armed groups.
But Larijani, in front of the Iranian parliament, said it was "comical" that the United States urged Iran to resort to diplomacy after launching a "large-scale economic war" against the country .
"We do not want war"
Hours after Larijani's remarks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that it was "undeniable "that Iran was responsible for the alleged attacks. But Washington did not look for war with Tehran, he said.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Pompeo said that there was other evidence other than a video released by the US military supposed to show Iranian soldiers pulling a mine unexploded one of the tankers damaged a few hours after the alleged attacks.
"The intelligence community has a lot of data, a lot of evidence, and the world will see a lot of it," said Pompeo.
"We do not want war, we have done our best to deter that," he added. promising to take "all necessary diplomatic and other measures" to ensure the safety of navigation in the Gulf's vital navigation corridors.
Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom also supported the badessment of the United States.
Earlier Sunday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) told the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat that Iran had deliberately attacked the ship and urged the international community to take a "decisive position".
He also accused Iran "and its agents" of May 12 the attacks on four oil tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates & # 39; port of Fujairah, and warned that he "will not hesitate" to face threats to the kingdom.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also said that responsibility for reported attacks in the Gulf of Oman fell "almost certainly" to Iran.
"We did our own intelligence badessment, we have videos of what happened, we saw evidence, we do not think anybody else could have done it." , he told the BBC.
Calling for a "de-escalation", Mr Hunt said it was "absolutely clear" that Washington wanted the situation to end with negotiations.
Hunt's remarks sparked a strong reprimand from Iran, a senior official who described the diplomat's "anti-Iranian" statement as "unacceptable". Mahmoud Barimani, Director General of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on the UK's ambbadador, Rob Macaire, to file a formal protest, according to IRNA.
Barimani told Macaire that Hunt had repeated "hastily and blindly" the US allegations against Iran, and urged Britain to "develop the subject and correct the situation".
& # 39; Hasty Conclusions & # 39;
As the charges flew, Russia weighed.
"Such incidents can undermine the foundations of the global economy, which is why it is difficult to accept unfounded accusations in this situation," said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin.
"We are still asking for a sober badessment of the situation and wait for the appearance of more or less convincing evidence," he told Russian television.
Moscow "severely" condemned the attacks, he said, cautioning against "hasty conclusions".
The United Nations, Germany, Qatar and others have called for an independent investigation to establish what happened.
Meanwhile, the two damaged tankers arrived safely off the United Arab Emirates.
The Japanese company Kokuka Courageous was "well arrived at the appointed anchorage", BSM Ship Management, based in Singapore, which manages vessel said in a statement Sunday. The ship's crew was "safe," he added.
The other vessel, the Norwegian Front Altair, was safely towed by tugs to an area off the coast of Fujairah Port in the eastern Emirates, said the shipowner in a statement.
"The first inspections are underway and no hot spots have been identified after the fire," the statement added, while all crew members were in Dubai.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday called on world powers to "secure international shipping and access to energy".
Thursday's attacks took place southeast of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor connecting the energy-rich Middle East states to the global market.
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