Tensions are rising in the Middle East over the latest attacks on oil tankers. The USA is blaming Iran for the attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. The tankers are owned by Japan and Norway. They were hit by blasts while navigating waters close to the strategically important Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Around a fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait, which is just 68km at its narrowest point. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran was behind the "blatant assault" on the vessels. He said the U.S. would defend itself and its allies against "Iranian aggression" in the region. However, he provided no evidence that Iran was behind the attacks.

由于最近的油轮袭击事件，中东地区的紧张局势正在加剧。美国指责伊朗对周四阿曼湾两艘油轮的袭击负责。这些油轮归日本和挪威所有。他们在伊朗和阿拉伯联合酋长国之间具有重要战略意义的霍尔木兹海峡附近海域航行时遭遇爆炸袭击。世界上大约五分之一的石油要经过海峡，海峡最窄的地方只有68公里。美国国务卿蓬佩奥说，伊朗是“公然攻击”这些船只的幕后黑手。他说，美国将保卫自己及其盟友，不受伊朗在该地区的“侵略”。然而，他没有提供任何证据表明伊朗是此次袭击的幕后黑手。

The attacks are the second such incidents carried out against tankers in the past month. Two Saudi tankers were sabotaged in the UAE port of Fujairah last month. The U.S. says the latest tankers were hit by mines and posted a video online of supposed Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine off the hull of one of the ships. Iran's Foreign Minister described the attacks as "suspicious". He said Iran's navy was investigating them. Iran called the U.S. accusations "unfounded," "inflammatory" and "Iranophobic". The Japanese owner of one of the tankers said his vessel was struck by some kind of missile and not by a mine. The United Nations cautioned that the truth needed to be "clearly established".

这是过去一个月发生的第二起针对油轮的袭击事件。上个月，两艘沙特油轮在阿联酋港口Fujairah遭到破坏。美国表示，最新的油轮被地雷击中，并在网上发布了一段视频，视频显示伊朗军队正在清除一艘油轮船体上的未爆炸地雷。伊朗外交部长称这些袭击是“可疑的”。他说，伊朗海军正在调查他们。伊朗称美国的指控“毫无根据”、“煽动性”和“仇视伊朗”。其中一艘油轮的日本船东说，他的船被某种导弹击中，而不是被地雷击中。联合国警告称，真相需要“明确确定”。