Owner Of Japanese Oil Tanker Says U.S. Is Wrong About Gulf Attack

The owner of one of the tankers which was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday said that US reports have provided wrong information about what happened.

Yutaka Katada, chief executive of the Japanese company operating the ship called Kokuka Courageous, said “flying objects” that may have been bullets were the cause of damage to the vessel, not mines used by Iranian forces, as the US has suggested.

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According to Mr Katada, sailors reported seeing the “flying objects” from the vessel before the incident occurred.

Katada said his ship was attacked on the starboard side by a flying object, not by a mine.

“It seems that something flew towards them. That created the hole, is the report I’ve received,” Katada said, according to the Financial Times.

“It seems there was a high chance they were attacked by a flying object.

The impact was well above the water. I don’t think it was a torpedo.”

The Japanese ship owner did not say who might be responsible for the attack. Iran has vehemently denied it was involved.

Daily Beast reports: Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, he contradicted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the U.S. Navy, which released a video that purports to show an Iranian patrol boat removing a limpet mine from the port side of the Kokuka Courageous. Katada said his ship was attacked on the starboard side by a flying object, not by a mine. “It seems that something flew towards them. That created the hole, is the report I’ve received,” Katada said, according to the Financial Times. “It seems there was a high chance they were attacked by a flying object. The impact was well above the water. I don’t think it was a torpedo.” The Japanese ship owner did not say who might be responsible for the attack. Iran has vehemently denied it was involved.READ IT AT FINANCIAL TIMES