Britains Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt stated on Friday that London backs the United States’ accusation that Iran was behind the attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. "We are going to make our own independent assessment, we have our processes to do that, (but) we have no reason not to believe the American assessment and our instinct is to believe it because they are our closest ally," Hunt told BBC radio, echoing comments he made late on Thursday. "We are taking this extremely seriously and my message to Iran is that if they have been involved it is a deeply unwise escalation which poses a real danger to the prospects of peace and stability in the region," he added, while revealing that he had contacted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo said there was strong evidence of Irans culpability and warned Washington would defend its forces and allies in the region. Two tankers, one Norwegian- and one Japanese-owned, were set blaze in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran on Thursday, escalating tensions across the region and sending world oil prices soaring.