Trump administration providing ‘false’ information about Gulf of Oman attack, says Japanese tanker owner
Chief executive of Japanese company operating Kokuka Courageous says 'flying objects' were cause of damage to vessel
The owner of the Japanese tanker attacked on Thursday said US reports have provided “false” information about what happened in the Gulf of Oman.
The ship operator said “flying objects” that may have been bullets were the cause of damage to the vessel, rather than mines used by Iranian forces, as the US has suggested.
Yutaka Katada, chief executive of the Japanese company operating the ship called Kokuka Courageous, one of two vessels attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, said the damage could not have been caused by mines or torpedos that are shot underwater, since the damage was reportedly above the ship’s waterline.
“It seems that something flew towards them. That created the hole, is the report I’ve received,” Mr Katada said at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, the Financial Times reported. Mr Katada also described reports of a mine attack as "false" according to several outlets in attendance at the press conference.
Donald Trump’s administration has meanwhile insisted the attacks were carried out by Iran, which has denied having any involvement in either of the two incidents.
World news in pictures
Show all 51
World news in pictures
1/51 7 March 2020
A migrant man runs away as another one takes cover behind a bin as Greek police use water cannons to block them trying to break fences in the Turkey-Greece border province of Edirne
AFP/Getty
2/51 6 March 2020
Police and forensic experts inspect the scene of an explosion near the US embassy in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia
AFP/Getty
3/51 5 March 2020
Migrants prepare for the coming night in a forest in the buffer zone at the Turkey-Greece border a crossing point
AFP/Getty
4/51 4 March 2020
A migrant rests with a child in his arms next to the Tunca river in Edirne, Turkey
Reuters
5/51 3 March 2020
Spanish policemen and civil guards sporting Guy Fawkes masks protest in front of Spanish policemen standing guard during a demonstration to demand fair wages in Madrid
AFP via Getty
6/51 2 March 2020
South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as part of preventive measures against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a market in Daegu
Yonhap/AFP via Getty
7/51 1 March 2020
A woman shouts as law enforcement officials move in to disperse a group of immigrants who had occupied a historic church and a square. They are demanding to be moved to another country as they claim to feel not safe because of xenophobic attacks in central Cape Town, South Africa
Reuters
8/51 29 February 2020
Greek border guard use teargas to push back migrants who try to enter Greece at the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey
AP
9/51 28 February 2020
A woman makes her way and NGO's members help as a dinghy with 54 Afghan refugees lands ashore the Greek island of Lesbos. Turkey will no longer close its border gates to refugees who want to go to Europe, a senior official told AFP, shortly after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in an airstrike in northern Syria
AFP via Getty Images
10/51 27 February 2020
Snow has fallen in high ground in Tasmania during the Australian summer
Tasmanian Rover Ski Club / Facebook
11/51 26 February 2020
Men ride a motorcycle past security forces patrolling a street in a riot-affected area of Delhi on Wednesday
Reuters
12/51 25 February 2020
Workers disinfect subway trains against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran
AP
13/51 24 February 2020
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters fire their anti-aircraft gun in the town of Sarmin, about 8 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, as they take part in a military offensive on the village of Nayrab following an artillery barrage fired by Turkish forces
AFP via Getty
14/51 23 February 2020
A security guard wearing a protective face mask stand guard as masked and costumed people walk by during the Carnival in Venice, Italy
EPA
15/51 22 February 2020
People dressed in traditional Czech folklore costumes parade through the village of Vortova near the east Bohemian city of Pardubice during the traditional Masopust carnival. The festival marks the beginning of Lent. This folk tradition of the carnival parade of masks was registered in the UNESCO List of the Intagible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010
Getty
16/51 21 February 2020
An Iranian woman wearing a face mask shows her inked finger after casting her ballot at a polling station set up at the Abdol Azim shrine during the parliamentary elections in Shahr-e-Ray, Tehran Province, Iran. Iranians are heading to the polls to elect their representatives to the Islamic Consultative Assembly amid a worsening economic crisis and escalating tensions with the US
EPA
17/51 20 February 2020
Roger Stone, former advisor to US President Donald Trump arrives at court prior to his sentencing hearing. Trump's longtime aide will be sentenced in a case that has caused a stir in Washington following meddling by the US president and his attorney general. Stone, one of the Republican leader's allies and "oldest friends," was convicted in November of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to cheat in the 2016 election
AFP via Getty
18/51 19 February 2020
Members of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry take cover during a controlled explosion triggering an avalanche for public safety in the Tien Shan mountains outside Almaty, Kazakhstan
Reuters
19/51 18 February 2020
Women chant slogans during a demonstration against gender violence outside the National Palace, in Mexico City. Dozens of women protested over the murder of a seven-year-old girl in the Mexican capital, a case that generated anger and outrage. The murder of the minor shocked the country two days after hundreds of women protested in several cities in Mexico over the femicide of Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old woman who was killed by her partner north of the Mexican capital
AFP via Getty
20/51 17 February 2020
People gather at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan
Reuters
21/51 16 February 2020
Dogs wearing masks are seen at a main shopping area, in downtown Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus
REUTERS
22/51 15 February 2020
Men dressed in loincloths prepare to snatch a wooden stick called "shingi" tossed by the priest during a naked festival at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture Japan February 15, 2020. The person who grabs the wooden stick is considered the "luckiest man of the year".
REUTERS
23/51 14 February 2020
Squirrels eat treats at a 'Valentine's day party' organised for them by staff in Skopje Zoo, North Macedonia
Reuters
24/51 13 February 2020
Internally displaced children stand on snow near tents at a makeshift camp in Azaz, Syria
Reuters
25/51 12 February 2020
A model presents a creation from the Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2020 collection during New York Fashion Week
Reuters
26/51 11 February 2020
Hawaiian surfer Kai Lenny rides a wave during the big waves Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge in Nazare
AFP via Getty
27/51 10 February 2020
A worker wears a protective suit as he stands outside an office building while checking people entering in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 40000 in mainland China. The country has continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 900, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China
Getty
28/51 9 February 2020
South Korean film director Bong Joon Ho poses with the awards, his film Parasite, won at the Oscars. It was named best picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so
AFP via Getty
29/51 8 February 2020
Thailand security forces take cover behind an ambulance as they chase a shooter hidden in a shopping mall after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21, in Nakhon Ratchasima
Reuters
30/51 7 February 2020
A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones at Israeli forces as tires burn near the Israeli barrier during a protest against the US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the village of Bilin, West Bank
Reuters
31/51 6 February 2020
Two people were killed and dozens injured when a train derailed outside the city of Lodi in Italy
AFP via Getty
32/51 5 February 2020
Health teams and fire brigade crews surround a passenger plane which split into three pieces after it skidded off the runway at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey
Anadolu Agency via Getty
33/51 4 February 2020
Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd independence day ceremony, in Colombo
Reuters
34/51 3 February 2020
Refugees and migrants confront riot police during a demonstration outside the Kara Tepe camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, February 3, 2020
Reuters
35/51 2 February 2020
An Iraqi demonstrator sits amid burning tires blocking a road during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq
Reuters
36/51 1 February 2020
Horses panic as a spot fire runs through the property of Lawrence and Clair Cowie near Canberra, Australia. The couple stayed to defend their home, with the spot fire destroying part of the property. Chief Minister Andrew Barr declared a State of Emergency on Friday, as the Orroral Valley bushfire continues to burn out of control
Getty
37/51 31 January 2020
Stefan Kraft soars through the air during a qualifying session for the men's large hill individual competition at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan
EPA
38/51 30 January 2020
Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok. A Thai surgical mask factory, producing 10 million masks a month, increased working hours to cope with the rising demand following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China
AFP via Getty
39/51 29 January 2020
An Israeli soldier fires teargas towards Palestinian protestors during a demonstration in al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp, between the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem
AFP via Getty
40/51 28 January 2020
Firefighters with their face painted with the movie character 'Joker', participate in a demonstration against the pension reforms and for better work conditions in Paris
EPA
41/51 27 January 2020
Flowers outside Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School, in Philadelphia, as people pay their respects after basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash
Reuters
42/51 26 January 2020
US singer-songwriter Lizzo performs onstage during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
AFP via Getty
43/51 25 January 2020
A Lebanese anti-government protester in makeshift protective gear stands under a water jet as security forces move to disperse a demonstration near government headquarters at the Grand Serail, in downtown Beirut
AFP via Getty
44/51 24 January 2020
A protester holds a sign reading "On the move" mocking the LREM party's slogan during a demonstration in Paris, as part as a nationwide multi-sector strike against the French government's pensions overhaul
AFP via Getty
45/51 23 January 2020
A Chinese police officer wears a protective mask as he stands guard next to an ad before the annual Spring Festival at a Beijing railway station. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 500 in mainland China as health officials locked down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have been confirmed can be passed from human to human
Getty
46/51 22 January 2020
Visitors wear face masks as they sit inside the Venetian casino hotel resort in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus that originated from Wuhan in China.
AFP via Getty
47/51 21 January 2020
Marine One helicopter with US President Donald Trump on board arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland
Reuters
48/51 20 January 2020
A man walks between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq
Reuters
49/51 19 January 2020
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, (second row, left to right) arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, African Union (AU) Committee Chairman Moussa Faki, European Council President Charles Michel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pose for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin
AFP via Getty
50/51 18 January 2020
Sweden's Jennie-Lee Burmansson competing in the final run of the Freestyle Skiing Womens Freeski Slopestyle at the Leysin Park in Leysin, during the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games
AFP via Getty
51/51 17 January 2020
Firefighters take part in a demonstration to protest against the attacks against them during interventions in Strasbourg. During the New Year's Eve night in Strasbourg, two firefighters were notably injured following a projectile thrown onto the window of their truck. Last weekend, three firefighters were victims of a stabbing by a person they came to rescue in the outskirts of the city.
AFP via Getty
1/51 7 March 2020
A migrant man runs away as another one takes cover behind a bin as Greek police use water cannons to block them trying to break fences in the Turkey-Greece border province of Edirne
AFP/Getty
2/51 6 March 2020
Police and forensic experts inspect the scene of an explosion near the US embassy in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia
AFP/Getty
3/51 5 March 2020
Migrants prepare for the coming night in a forest in the buffer zone at the Turkey-Greece border a crossing point
AFP/Getty
4/51 4 March 2020
A migrant rests with a child in his arms next to the Tunca river in Edirne, Turkey
Reuters
5/51 3 March 2020
Spanish policemen and civil guards sporting Guy Fawkes masks protest in front of Spanish policemen standing guard during a demonstration to demand fair wages in Madrid
AFP via Getty
6/51 2 March 2020
South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as part of preventive measures against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a market in Daegu
Yonhap/AFP via Getty
7/51 1 March 2020
A woman shouts as law enforcement officials move in to disperse a group of immigrants who had occupied a historic church and a square. They are demanding to be moved to another country as they claim to feel not safe because of xenophobic attacks in central Cape Town, South Africa
Reuters
8/51 29 February 2020
Greek border guard use teargas to push back migrants who try to enter Greece at the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey
AP
9/51 28 February 2020
A woman makes her way and NGO's members help as a dinghy with 54 Afghan refugees lands ashore the Greek island of Lesbos. Turkey will no longer close its border gates to refugees who want to go to Europe, a senior official told AFP, shortly after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in an airstrike in northern Syria
AFP via Getty Images
10/51 27 February 2020
Snow has fallen in high ground in Tasmania during the Australian summer
Tasmanian Rover Ski Club / Facebook
11/51 26 February 2020
Men ride a motorcycle past security forces patrolling a street in a riot-affected area of Delhi on Wednesday
Reuters
12/51 25 February 2020
Workers disinfect subway trains against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran
AP
13/51 24 February 2020
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters fire their anti-aircraft gun in the town of Sarmin, about 8 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, as they take part in a military offensive on the village of Nayrab following an artillery barrage fired by Turkish forces
AFP via Getty
14/51 23 February 2020
A security guard wearing a protective face mask stand guard as masked and costumed people walk by during the Carnival in Venice, Italy
EPA
15/51 22 February 2020
People dressed in traditional Czech folklore costumes parade through the village of Vortova near the east Bohemian city of Pardubice during the traditional Masopust carnival. The festival marks the beginning of Lent. This folk tradition of the carnival parade of masks was registered in the UNESCO List of the Intagible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010
Getty
16/51 21 February 2020
An Iranian woman wearing a face mask shows her inked finger after casting her ballot at a polling station set up at the Abdol Azim shrine during the parliamentary elections in Shahr-e-Ray, Tehran Province, Iran. Iranians are heading to the polls to elect their representatives to the Islamic Consultative Assembly amid a worsening economic crisis and escalating tensions with the US
EPA
17/51 20 February 2020
Roger Stone, former advisor to US President Donald Trump arrives at court prior to his sentencing hearing. Trump's longtime aide will be sentenced in a case that has caused a stir in Washington following meddling by the US president and his attorney general. Stone, one of the Republican leader's allies and "oldest friends," was convicted in November of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to cheat in the 2016 election
AFP via Getty
18/51 19 February 2020
Members of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry take cover during a controlled explosion triggering an avalanche for public safety in the Tien Shan mountains outside Almaty, Kazakhstan
Reuters
19/51 18 February 2020
Women chant slogans during a demonstration against gender violence outside the National Palace, in Mexico City. Dozens of women protested over the murder of a seven-year-old girl in the Mexican capital, a case that generated anger and outrage. The murder of the minor shocked the country two days after hundreds of women protested in several cities in Mexico over the femicide of Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old woman who was killed by her partner north of the Mexican capital
AFP via Getty
20/51 17 February 2020
People gather at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan
Reuters
21/51 16 February 2020
Dogs wearing masks are seen at a main shopping area, in downtown Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus
REUTERS
22/51 15 February 2020
Men dressed in loincloths prepare to snatch a wooden stick called "shingi" tossed by the priest during a naked festival at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture Japan February 15, 2020. The person who grabs the wooden stick is considered the "luckiest man of the year".
REUTERS
23/51 14 February 2020
Squirrels eat treats at a 'Valentine's day party' organised for them by staff in Skopje Zoo, North Macedonia
Reuters
24/51 13 February 2020
Internally displaced children stand on snow near tents at a makeshift camp in Azaz, Syria
Reuters
25/51 12 February 2020
A model presents a creation from the Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2020 collection during New York Fashion Week
Reuters
26/51 11 February 2020
Hawaiian surfer Kai Lenny rides a wave during the big waves Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge in Nazare
AFP via Getty
27/51 10 February 2020
A worker wears a protective suit as he stands outside an office building while checking people entering in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 40000 in mainland China. The country has continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 900, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China
Getty
28/51 9 February 2020
South Korean film director Bong Joon Ho poses with the awards, his film Parasite, won at the Oscars. It was named best picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so
AFP via Getty
29/51 8 February 2020
Thailand security forces take cover behind an ambulance as they chase a shooter hidden in a shopping mall after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21, in Nakhon Ratchasima
Reuters
30/51 7 February 2020
A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones at Israeli forces as tires burn near the Israeli barrier during a protest against the US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the village of Bilin, West Bank
Reuters
31/51 6 February 2020
Two people were killed and dozens injured when a train derailed outside the city of Lodi in Italy
AFP via Getty
32/51 5 February 2020
Health teams and fire brigade crews surround a passenger plane which split into three pieces after it skidded off the runway at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey
Anadolu Agency via Getty
33/51 4 February 2020
Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd independence day ceremony, in Colombo
Reuters
34/51 3 February 2020
Refugees and migrants confront riot police during a demonstration outside the Kara Tepe camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, February 3, 2020
Reuters
35/51 2 February 2020
An Iraqi demonstrator sits amid burning tires blocking a road during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq
Reuters
36/51 1 February 2020
Horses panic as a spot fire runs through the property of Lawrence and Clair Cowie near Canberra, Australia. The couple stayed to defend their home, with the spot fire destroying part of the property. Chief Minister Andrew Barr declared a State of Emergency on Friday, as the Orroral Valley bushfire continues to burn out of control
Getty
37/51 31 January 2020
Stefan Kraft soars through the air during a qualifying session for the men's large hill individual competition at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan
EPA
38/51 30 January 2020
Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok. A Thai surgical mask factory, producing 10 million masks a month, increased working hours to cope with the rising demand following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China
AFP via Getty
39/51 29 January 2020
An Israeli soldier fires teargas towards Palestinian protestors during a demonstration in al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp, between the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem
AFP via Getty
40/51 28 January 2020
Firefighters with their face painted with the movie character 'Joker', participate in a demonstration against the pension reforms and for better work conditions in Paris
EPA
41/51 27 January 2020
Flowers outside Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School, in Philadelphia, as people pay their respects after basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash
Reuters
42/51 26 January 2020
US singer-songwriter Lizzo performs onstage during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
AFP via Getty
43/51 25 January 2020
A Lebanese anti-government protester in makeshift protective gear stands under a water jet as security forces move to disperse a demonstration near government headquarters at the Grand Serail, in downtown Beirut
AFP via Getty
44/51 24 January 2020
A protester holds a sign reading "On the move" mocking the LREM party's slogan during a demonstration in Paris, as part as a nationwide multi-sector strike against the French government's pensions overhaul
AFP via Getty
45/51 23 January 2020
A Chinese police officer wears a protective mask as he stands guard next to an ad before the annual Spring Festival at a Beijing railway station. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 500 in mainland China as health officials locked down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have been confirmed can be passed from human to human
Getty
46/51 22 January 2020
Visitors wear face masks as they sit inside the Venetian casino hotel resort in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus that originated from Wuhan in China.
AFP via Getty
47/51 21 January 2020
Marine One helicopter with US President Donald Trump on board arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland
Reuters
48/51 20 January 2020
A man walks between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq
Reuters
49/51 19 January 2020
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, (second row, left to right) arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, African Union (AU) Committee Chairman Moussa Faki, European Council President Charles Michel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pose for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin
AFP via Getty
50/51 18 January 2020
Sweden's Jennie-Lee Burmansson competing in the final run of the Freestyle Skiing Womens Freeski Slopestyle at the Leysin Park in Leysin, during the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games
AFP via Getty
51/51 17 January 2020
Firefighters take part in a demonstration to protest against the attacks against them during interventions in Strasbourg. During the New Year's Eve night in Strasbourg, two firefighters were notably injured following a projectile thrown onto the window of their truck. Last weekend, three firefighters were victims of a stabbing by a person they came to rescue in the outskirts of the city.
AFP via Getty
The US released video shortly after that it said showed Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials removing what was likely an unexploded limpet mine from the Kokuka Courageous. The US also said the ship was abandoned after an “initial explosion.”
The White House has singled out the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in recent months under Mr Trump, taking the rare step of classifying a foreign government entity as a terror group.
The Kokuka Courageous and another Norwegian-operated vessel were ablaze for hours in the Gulf on Thursday. The owner's of the other vessel, the Front Altair, have not yet provided an explanation of what they believe to be the cause of the damage.
The entire 21-person crew evacuated the Kokuka Courageous. Sailors reported seeing the “flying objects” from the vessel before the incident occurred, according to Mr Katada.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
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