US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the mysterious apparent attacks against two oil tankers near Iran, the White House said Thursday.
"The president has been briefed on the attack on ships in the Gulf of Oman. The US government is providing assistance and will continue to assess the situation," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
The Norwegian Maritime Authority said three explosions were reported on the Norwegian-owned tanker Front Altair after it was "attacked," along with the Singapore-owned ship Kokuka Courageous.
The incident, the second involving shipping in the strategic sea lane in only a few weeks, came amid spiralling tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has pointed the finger at Iran over earlier tanker attacks in May.
Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said the timing of the apparent attacks was "beyond suspicious".