# New Attacks on Oil Tankers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470 "2019-06-13T13:17:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/1 "2019-06-13T13:17:20Z")
Everyone here is all atwitter. The Saudis are concerned, the expats are hoping for danger money. This is something like the fourth attack. 1. Two attacks on the petroline 2. Limpet mines on two tankers 3. Missile strike on an airport Down South 4. Now two more tankers hit. But in truth, not much else to report from here. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/2 "2019-06-13T13:24:13Z")
Well that ain’t good. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/3 "2019-06-13T13:30:11Z")
Soo… gotta ask. Any possibility Saudi Arabia is doing this to put blame on Iran and get Trump to sent it more military gear and nuclear tech? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/4 "2019-06-13T13:59:22Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > Any possibility Saudi Arabia is doing this to put blame on Iran and get Trump to sent it more military gear and nuclear tech? Welcome to the new world of warfare! Who did what to whom and if so why? Is Country C trying to start war between A and B? Is B trying to start a war with A? Is B trying to start a war with B and make it look like A’s fault? Great fun! I figure it is the same as it every was. The brass hats are pushing us to the edge “to send a message.” Now all we need is an accident to light the match. It will be nobody’s fault at all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/5 "2019-06-13T14:07:42Z")
Just for a reference…[Gulf of Oman tankers attacked: Live updates](https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/gulf-of-oman-incident-latest-intl/index.html) Life could get very interesting there… ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/6 "2019-06-13T14:22:23Z")
(Why would you want to transport a tanker-full of methanol? Surely you can make methanol most anywhere. Shows you what I know.) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/7 "2019-06-13T14:25:16Z")
Taiwanese tanker just got sunk by torpedoes as well. Is Iran less dependent on Persian Gulf shipping than Saudi Arabia? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/8 "2019-06-13T14:51:22Z")
Iran needs to keep the Gulf open, if it is in the oil business. If it is not in the oil business because of sanctions, it is less interested. I see nothing about a third attack today. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/9 "2019-06-13T15:14:27Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Taiwanese tanker just got sunk by torpedoes as well. > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I see nothing about a third attack today. The Front Altair is owned by Taiwan’s CPC Corp; the other tanker in the news today is the Kokuka Courageous, which flies a Panamanian flag but is apparently managed by a firm in Singapore. These are the only two ships in the news today AFAIK (yes, I googled just now). ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/10 "2019-06-13T15:47:03Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Just for a reference…[Gulf of Oman tankers attacked: Live updates](https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/gulf-of-oman-incident-latest-intl/index.html) > > Life could get very interesting there… Oh how nice, CNN is pushing conspiracy theories now. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/11 "2019-06-13T15:51:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The Front Altair is owned by Taiwan’s CPC Corp; the other tanker in the news today is the Kokuka Courageous, which flies a Panamanian flag but is apparently managed by a firm in Singapore. These are the only two ships in the news today AFAIK (yes, I googled just now). The “Taiwanese tanker just got sunk by torpedoes” is probably a reference to the Front Altair. There have been some rumors she sank (and an initial report that the suspected cause of the damage was a torpedo). ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/12 "2019-06-13T16:00:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Oh how nice, CNN is pushing conspiracy theories now. What’s the CT? Were two tankers NOT attacked today? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/13 "2019-06-13T16:16:47Z")
The UN is calling for [facts to be established](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-uk-maritime-group-warns-incident-oman-sea-63680064). (ABC News) It would be nice if John Bolton could [show evidence of previous attacks](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/12/uae-four-merchant-ships-reported-sabotaged?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition) (The Guardian) as [he promised to do but has not yet done](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/30/john-bolton-present-evidence-next-week-iran-backed-gulf-attacks) (The Guardian), before accusing Iran of this most recent attack. I see Saudi Arabia as having far more to gain in this confrontation than Iran. Funny; we seem especially close to the House of Saud at the moment. These attacks are a big deal as regards how they will be manipulated by the Trump “administration.” It is a(nother) frightening development. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/14 "2019-06-13T16:25:57Z")
With the recent American provocations, Iran would be suicidal to start torpedoing ships. Not saying that it isn’t possible, but :dubious:. And where are the reports that one ship sank? I’ve heard 1 injury, no deaths, and all cargo still present. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/15 "2019-06-13T16:29:36Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > What’s the CT? Were two tankers NOT attacked today? Seems everyone is reporting this so I’m not seeing the CT either. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/16 "2019-06-13T16:44:37Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > What’s the CT? Were two tankers NOT attacked today? The CT is that the tanker attacks today were a false flag operation. That idea is laced throughout the CNN piece (at the time that he provided the link, the top content was “Iran will get the blame, but the Gulf of Oman truth is likely a lot murkier” Analysis from CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, which is now a bit farther down the page): > [@](#): > > … why it happened and who did it is a lot less easy to explain, not least because it doesn’t appear to benefit any of the protagonists in the region. … Iran doesn’t appear to have a lot to gain. Say what you like about Tehran’s malicious intent, these incidents heighten the global drumbeat for greater isolation and boosts those who seek to apply military pressure on Iran. … You could make a case for Iranian hardliners staging such an attack to derail peace efforts. But Iran’s hardliners – particularly the Revolutionary Guard – are normally a little smarter than to bomb international shipping lanes during a crucial diplomatic meeting. Iran’s chief moderate, Foreign Minister Javid Zarif, was right to point out that “suspicious doesn’t begin to describe what likely transpired this morning.” When one party is so easily blamed, it is likely blameless, or unfathomably stupid. … ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/17 "2019-06-13T16:59:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Taiwanese tanker just got sunk by torpedoes as well. If this attack was from a surface ship, we’d see them with radar from the USS Bainbridge. I’m hearing that witnesses say the strike was from some sort of shell. Not hearing about torpedoes. > **[Japan ship attacked near Strait of Hormuz, U.S. blames Iran](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/06/fe23a1c7a166-urgent-japanese-ship-attacked-in-strait-of-hormuz-minister-seko.html)** > > Industry minister Hiroshige Seko says at least one Japanese tanker was attacked around the Strait of Hormuz. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/18 "2019-06-13T17:00:23Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > … And where are the reports that one ship sank? I’ve heard 1 injury, no deaths, and all cargo still present. Here is one such report: > [@](#): > > The Front Altair, which was carrying crude oil, is believed to have been struck by the torpedo - and reports in Iran claim it later sank. [https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-oman-incident-explosions-heard-16510326](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-oman-incident-explosions-heard-16510326) I have no idea if it sank or not, but there are definitely some claims out there that it did. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/19 "2019-06-13T17:32:19Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > The CT is that the tanker attacks today were a false flag operation. That idea is laced throughout the CNN piece (at the time that he provided the link, the top content was “Iran will get the blame, but the Gulf of Oman truth is likely a lot murkier” Analysis from CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, which is now a bit farther down the page): That’s your idea of pushing a “false-flag operation”? OK ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470/20 "2019-06-13T17:36:59Z")
There’s probably almost zero chance of this, but I hope any US response would wait until the facts are clear. They certainlly aren’t clear now. At this time I see no more reason to believe Iran is responsible than to believe that someone else is responsible, and we shouldn’t act as if this is the case until we know with certainty. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-attacks-on-oil-tankers/835470.md?page=2)