The US accusations are aimed at “diverting attention” from Washington’s complicity in “Israel’s crimes in Gaza”, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected US accusations that Tehran struck a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean, as tension rises globally over threats to shipping.
A ministry spokesperson rejected the accusation outright at a press conference on Monday. He said the US claim that a drone launched by Iran hit a Japanese tanker as it sailed near India was false.
Global trade has been hit hard by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who have launched a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis say the campaign, targeting what they say are ships linked to Israel, aims to force Israel to stop its bombing of Gaza.
“We declare these claims to be completely rejected and worthless,” Nasser Kanaani said when asked about the American accusations.
“Such claims are intended to project, divert public attention and conceal the full support of the US government for the crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Gaza,” he added.
Wider security threat
Saturday’s attack hit the MV Chem Pluto, a Japanese oil tanker traveling 200 nautical miles (370 km) off the coast of India, according to the US Pentagon.
The tanker was “affiliated with Israel” and was en route from Saudi Arabia to India, maritime security company Ambrey reported.
Amid the recent wave of maritime attacks, this is the first that the United States has sought to blame directly on Iran. It is also the first on a ship outside the Red Sea.
The United States, which leads a global task force to counter the Houthi threat, has repeatedly accused Iran of being “deeply involved.”
However, Iran insists it is not coordinating with the Houthis and playing no role in the attacks.
“The resistance (the Houthis) has its own tools… and acts in accordance with its own decisions and capabilities,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri told Mehr news agency on Saturday.
“The fact that certain powers, such as the Americans and the Israelis, are suffering strikes from the resistance movement (…) should in no way call into question the reality of the strength of the resistance in the region,” he added.
Amid tensions, Iran’s navy has taken delivery of long-range cruise missiles as well as reconnaissance helicopters, according to the country’s state media.
