"We are in charge of maintaining security of the Strait and we rescued the crew of those attacked tankers in the shortest possible time ... US Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo's accusations towards Iran are alarming", Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, addressing the incident.
READ MORE: International Association of Tanker Owners Claims No Pollution Occurred in Gulf of Oman
The tankers Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous were hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. Washington immediately blamed Iran for the incident, sending US Navy destroyers to the area to provide assistance. Tehran, meanwhile, has firmly denied the allegations, saying the claims are unfounded.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he had previously warned that the US would "sabotage diplomacy", stressing that Washington jumped to making allegations without any evidence, escalating conflict between the countries.
Following the incident near the Strait of Hormuz, which is a route for one-third of the world's shipped oil deliveries, the price of oil has spiked over 4.5%, with Brent crude hitting $62.64 per barrel and US crude touching $53.45.
