Obama Advisor Downplays Iran Attack; Rep. Dan Crenshaw Hits BACK

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers near the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.

In a news conference, Pompeo said: “This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and profiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication.”

He charged that Iran was working to disrupt the flow of oil through the Straight of Hormuz and this is a deliberate part of a campaign to escalate tension, adding that the U.S. would defend its forces and interests in the region, although he did not elaborate.

Former Obama advisor Ben Rhodes downplayed the attack and questioned Pompeo’s statement, claiming there needs to be an “international investigation.”

Rhodes, a leading figure within the Obama administration who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, suggested the U.S. official assessment of the tanker attacks shouldn’t be taken for granted, saying only an international investigation can get to the bottom of the incident.

Representative Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy Seal, slapped back on Twitter:

That’s quite the mic drop.  Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy Seal who actually served (and almost died) in the Middle East, has unique knowledge and perspective on these issues.  Especially compared to Rhodes, who infamously said that the Obama administration built an “echo chamber” of experts to help sell the failed Iran nuclear deal.

Rhodes hasn’t responded to Crenshaw’s tweets.