EU states cool on US blaming Iran for Gulf tanker attacks

LUXEMBOURG: European states on Monday urged caution in attributing blame for last week´s tanker attacks in the Gulf, pointedly refusing to fall in line with Washington´s assessment that Iran was behind the incidents.

Several EU foreign ministers arriving for talks in Luxembourg backed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres´ call for an independent investigation into explosions that damaged two tankers sending tensions, and oil prices, soaring.

US President Donald Trump has said the Gulf of Oman attacks had Iran "written all over it" and Britain has concluded responsibility "almost certainly" lies with Tehran, but the EU has called for caution.

"We know the findings of the American and the British intelligence services, which assume that you can be almost certain. We are comparing this with our information. I think you have to proceed very, very carefully on this," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters.

His Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto said it was vital to have "the full evidence" before reaching conclusions.

"I support very much the line of the UN Secretary General Mr Guterres, that a proper investigation (to put) all the facts on the table and then we can look what really has happened, who is behind this," he said.

"I think its a very very concerning event but let´s have all the details first." Luxembourg´s foreign minister echoed his support for Guterres´ call, warning against repeating the diplomatic mis-steps that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

A senior EU official last week said the bloc needed time to analyse the events, insisting this did not mean "that we´re convinced or lack conviction" about the US assessment, which included video footage that Washington said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the damaged tankers.