Gulf of Oman tankers attacked

The United Nations Security Council today privately discussed the latest oil tanker attacks in the Middle East, but declined to produce any formal reaction.

Kuwait’s UN Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said his country was pleased the topic was discussed. He said no country produced any evidence that might point the finger at those responsible.

The acting US Ambassador Jonathan Cohen, echoed much of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s earlier comments in Washington, blaming Iran for the attack in an attempt to destabilize the region. Cohen repeated his earlier comment to an open council session in the morning calling the attacks "unacceptable."

Cohen said he expected further conversations on the blasts in coming days.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran is responsible for today's attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

He said the the United States government is drawing this conclusion based on "on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation" — but he did not offer any concrete evidence to support the claim.

National Security Adviser John Bolton earlier today also spoke out to put responsibility on Iran, but also did not offer evidence.

Here's what Iran has said about the attacks: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted that one of the ships is Japanese owned and that the attack took place as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was visiting Iran. He called the attack "suspicious" in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Russia has cautioned against "hasty statements" over the attack, with a spokesperson for the Kremlin saying it was premature to draw conclusions about the cause of the incident.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for an attack on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying the assessment was based on intelligence, but offered no evidence to support his claim.  

He continued:

"This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication."

The two tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman this morning were both hit "at or below the waterline, in close proximity to the engine room while underway," according to the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko).

The crew of USS Bainbridge reported that they saw an unexploded limpet mine on the side of one of the ships attacked today in the Gulf of Oman, according to a US defense official familiar with the matter.

What that means: A limpet mine is type of a mine that is attached to side of a hull using magnets. 

Limpet mines were also suspected d to be used in the May attack on four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE concluded that a "state actor" is the most likely culprit and chemical analysis of the debris recovered in May revealed "it was highly likely that limpet mines' were deployed."

What happens now: Additional US navy ships are expected to head to the area in the coming hours for security, patrolling, helping mariners get back to port and potentially assist in arranging for tankers to be towed to port, the source said. 

CNN has obtained a satellite image that appears to show smoke rising from the Front Altair tanker after it was damaged in the Gulf of Oman attack.

The strong glint on the water is caused by light reflecting.

Take a look:

The Front Altair oil tanker was one of two ships that were apparently attacked in the Gulf of Oman Thursday.

The Norwegian Maritime Agency said that three explosions were reported on board the Marshall Islands-flagged Front Altair oil tanker, which is owned by the Bermuda-based Norwegian company Frontline. The company said that a fire broke out after an explosion and that the cause of the blast was unclear.

Here's a look at the damage on Frontline's oil tanker:

Two tankers were apparently attacked in the Gulf of Oman Thursday, less than a month after four other ships were struck in the region.

Here's what we know about the apparent attack:

The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss the attack on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, three diplomatic sources tell CNN. That meeting will be held at 4 p.m. ET.

“If there is something the world cannot afford, it is a major confrontation in the Gulf region,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council in a meeting earlier in the day.

Jonathan Cohen, the US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, said the attacks are "unacceptable."