Tanker Tension in the Gulf

Explosions on board two tankers in the Persian Gulf sparked a diplomatic incident in 2019. The US claimed the bombings were the work of Iranian factions, an accusation vehemently denied by Iran’s leadership. The American allegations have been refuted by the tankers’ crews, who said they were hit by drones that had flown in from international waters, not the Iranian coast. Neither tanker was severely damaged, and both were able to continue their journeys.