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Russian Embassy in UK Warns London Against Drawing Hasty Conclusions in Gulf of Oman Incident

LONDON (Sputnik) - Moscow has urged London to refrain from hasty conclusions or accusations with regard to a recent incident involving oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman until an international investigation is completed, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom said Monday.
Sputnik

"The conclusions of the UK side, formulated in a statement, are not supported by evidence. In our opinion, the lack of evidence does not allow one to draw definite conclusions regarding someone's responsibility for the incident mentioned. Russia calls on all members of the international community without exception to show restraint in assessments and to abandon biased approaches and impartially find out what happened. We are convinced that blaming anyone for involvement in the incidents in the Gulf of Oman, until the completion of a thorough and unbiased international investigation, is unacceptable", the spokesperson said.

On Thursday, two oil tankers, the Front Altair and the Kokuka Courageous, caught fire after reportedly being hit by torpedoes near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

While the cause of the incidents remains unknown, the United States and the United Kingdom promptly pointed the finger at Iran as the alleged perpetrator of the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denied all accusations, noting the lack of evidence.

Zarif warned that hasty conclusions could lead to unfortunate consequences for international politics.

In the wake of the Gulf of Oman attack, US President Donald Trump ordered the USS Mason destroyer dispatched to the area, adding to the country's already significant military presence in the region.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has warned against attempting to lay the blame on Iran before a thorough investigation is finished.

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