Washington: The US has blamed Iran for the attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday as the incident appeared to have escalated the ongoing tension with the Iranian regime. The latest incident came amid spiralling tensions between Tehran and Washington which has pointed the finger at Iran over May 12 attacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah.

"It is the assessment of the US government that Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday. He said the 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.