Zarif Regards Reported Oil Tankers Attack with Suspicion

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described a reported attack on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman as suspicious, as it coincided with a meeting between Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei and Japan’s visiting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tehran.

In a message on his Twitter account on Thursday, Zarif said, “Reported attacks on Japan-related tankers occurred while PM @AbeShinzo was meeting with Ayatollah @khamenei_ir for extensive and friendly talks.”

“Suspicious doesn't begin to describe what likely transpired this morning,” Zarif added.

He once again voiced Tehran’s call for regional dialogue, saying, “Iran's proposed Regional Dialogue Forum is imperative.”

Zarif’s comments came after Iranian maritime rescue forces evacuated the crew of two large oil tankers hit by two successive blasts in the Sea of Oman on Thursday morning.

A total of 44 sailors are believed to have been transferred to Iran's port city of Jask in the southern province of Hormozgan.

In another Twitter post, Zarif hailed the “fruitful talks” with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, saying Imam Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have also held “extensive, friendly and useful talks” with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Cause of tension is clear: US violation of JCPOA & imposition of economic war on Iranian people,” Zarif added.

Abe arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and became the first Japanese leader to visit Iran in more than 4 decades.

In a meeting with Rouhani on Wednesday evening, Abe said the main purpose of his trip to Iran is to ease the tensions, and expressed hope that his visit would result in the reduction of tensions and establishment of peace in the region.