The Iranians in the Patrol Boat were removing and disarming the Mine....no doubt.
Nice of them to do that at very great risk to themselves.
Of course....the possibility they knew what it was....how to safely disarm it....and do so in very short order.....does make one wonder how they knew how to safely and efficiently do so.
Very well trained those Iranians I would say.
Now if they were genuinely innocent of any wrong doing....don't you think the Iranian government would be inviting outsiders (media, military, intelligence) to examine the mine to determine its origins?
Also...none of the ships attacks with Mines in the May incidents and the most recent have sunk....and were only damaged.
None were American.....which as we know from posts here and by the Iranians Public Announcements is the real enemy.
Why have American Allies been attacked but not an American Vessel?
The Iranians are playing the long game here.....divide and conquer....and find a way to get the Sanctions removed shy of getting into a real war.
They know this for sure...
President Trump, who was elected on a pledge not to get involved in Middle East conflicts, went out of his way to talk down the threats of the belligerent John Bolton, his national security adviser, and publicly called for talks with the Iranian regime.
He even asked for help from Abe in that effort.
They better not overplay their hand because if they do it shall get very ugly for them because the Sanctions shall not be removed until the Ayatollah's find themselves hawking Korans in the Bazaars for a living.
The Iranians are behind the attacks....either the Revolutionary Guards are doing it or some group supported by the Iranians are doing it at their bidding.
If it looks like a Duck, waddles like a Duck, quacks like a Duck....it might just be a Duck!