Report: Mossad gave key intel linking Iran to oil tanker attacks near UAE
Monday’s leak to the media appeared to be the next stage in a public relations war to impose responsibility for the incident on the Islamic republic.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBPrime Minister Benjamin Netanahu points to files containing copys of Iranian data during a televised speech on April 30th, 2018.(photo credit: GPO/AMOS BEN GERSHOM)
The Mossad was responsible for the key intelligence linking Iran to the attack on four oil tankers near the United Arab Emirates coast last month, prompting the United States to accuse Tehran of carrying out the attack, according to a report by KAN late Monday.According to the report, an Israeli official complimented the Iranians on a “high level commando operation” which intentionally only sabotaged the tankers, but did not lead to any injuries which might have escalated tensions further.The US is expected to present both the Mossad intelligence and some additional intelligence before a UN body in the near future, possibly before the UN Security Council.Last month, US officials accused, with differing degrees of certainty, Iran and its proxies of carrying out the tanker attacks, of a coordinated drone attack on Saudi Arabia by the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels of Yemen, and of a rocket attack in Iraq which landed near a US installation.Iran pushed back against the claims, but because none of the evidence had been revealed to date, the issue was still under debate publicly.Last week, US State Department Special Representative to Iran, Brian Hook, gave a briefing to the press, including The Jerusalem Post, indicating that an investigation by the US and by the affected countries was close to completion and that the results would be revealed in the near future.Monday’s leak to the media appeared to be the next stage in a public relations war to impose responsibility for the incident on the Islamic republic.The Mossad and the US have been more aggressive about taking credit for thwarting attacks by adversaries as well as operations in the last couple years.Last month, Channel 13 reported that the Mossad had tipped off the US about a likely imminent attack by Iran on US personnel in the region and in recent years, Israel has repeatedly taken credit for uncovering plots by ISIS to hijack civilian airlines across the world.Finally, in April 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the unusual step of holding a press conference giving substantial details about the Mossad’s now famous operation to appropriate large volumes of Tehran’s secret nuclear files.The US has responded to the Islamic republic’s alleged aggressive moves by moving new naval and aerial assets into the region.
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