An American-guided missile destroyer was sent to assist two burning tankers in the Gulf of Oman, following what the Trump administration on Thursday described as a "blatant assault" by Iran. The USS Bainbridge was dispatched to help the damaged Japanese and Norwegian vessels, according to 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Josh Frey.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the weapons used and previous threats issued by Iran point to Tehran as the culprit. "It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today," he said.
American vessels were "rendering assistance" following the reported attack, the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement.
