U.S. releases new photos purporting to show Iran was behind tanker attack

The U.S. government on Monday released new photos it said demonstrate Iran was responsible for an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week.

The color images released by U.S. Central Command purport to show an Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boat alongside the Kokuka Courageous during the removal of an undetonated mine from the ship’s hull.

{mosads}The 11 images include several that, according to accompanying captions, show members of the Revolutionary Guard’s Navy removing the mine as well as close-ups of the area around where the mine was placed.

The publication of the photos comes as U.S. officials try to bolster the case they began making last week with the release of a video of the aftermath of the attacks.

While the U.S. has been joined by the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia in blaming Iran for the attack on the tanker, other U.S. allies have expressed doubt, with Germany’s foreign minister saying more evidence was needed to draw a conclusion.

The owner of the Japanese-owned ship has also contradicted U.S. accounts of the Thursday attack.

“The German foreign minister has seen a great deal more than just that video,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday. “He will continue to see more.”