UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into this week’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
“It is very important to know the truth, and it is veryimportant that responsibilities are clarified,” Xinhua quoted the UN chiefas saying to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.
He noted “that can only be done if there is some independententity that verifies those facts.”
“Whatever happens in the international community, wewill be supportive of any initiative in this regard, provided it is trulyindependent,” the UN chief said when answering a question regarding theattacks and their investigation.
Guterres further added that “the world cannot afford amajor confrontation in the Gulf.”
Earlier Thursday, two oil tankers were hit in the Gulf ofOman. At least one of them was operated by a Japanese company.
The attacks came amid Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’svisit to Iran, who was seeking to help ease tensions between Iran and the US.
In May, four commercial vessels reportedly suffered similarsabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.