U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday it was "quite possible" Iran was responsible for sabotage of Gulf oil interests, although he stopped short of making a definitive conclusion.

 

"Given all the regional conflicts that we have seen over the past decade and the shape of these attacks, it seems like it's quite possible that Iran was behind these," Pompeo, who later Tuesday will brief U.S. lawmakers on rising tensions with Tehran, told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

 

Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan meanwhile said that the United States had "put on hold" the Iranian threat to its interests, following a spike in tensions that has seen the U.S. dispatch bomber aircraft to the region.

 

"I think our steps were very prudent and we've put on hold the potential for attacks on Americans," the acting defense secretary said, as he prepared to brief lawmakers on the Gulf tensions.

 

"I'd say we're in a period where the threat remains high and our job is to make sure that there is no miscalculation by the Iranians," Shanahan added.