UK says it agrees with US Iran behind attacks

The British government says it agrees with a U.S. conclusion that Iran attacked two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

The Foreign Office says in a statement that its own assessment concluded "it is almost certain that a branch of the Iranian military," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, attacked the tankers. It said it also believed Iran was behind an attack last month on four tankers near the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the attacks "build on a pattern of destabilizing Iranian behaviour and pose a serious danger to the region." He said Britain "remains in close coordination with international partners to find diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions.