HAWKISH US National Security Adviser John Bolton was accused of attempting to spark war on Iran today after he repeated “discredited and unsubstantiated claims” that the country had attacked oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Iranian communists warned that the “pro-war enthusiast” was positioning himself as the “ultimate architect” of military intervention by fabricating claims that Iranian mines had damaged oil tankers.

They said that the claims could “torpedo diplomatic efforts” toward a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between the US and Iran.

Mr Bolton claimed that “naval mines almost certainly from Iran” blasted four holes in the hulls of four ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on May 12.

He provided no evidence for his claims, which were denied by Iran, but he repeated the allegations yesterday ahead of an emergency summit of Arab leaders convening in Saudi Arabia today.

The US hawk told reporters it was “clear that Iran is behind” the attack.

“There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who’s responsible for this,” he said. “Who else would you think is doing it? Someone from Nepal?”

Attempts to ratchet up hostilities come with three options for peace talks on the table from Japan, Kuwait and Oman.

However Tudeh Party spokesman Navid Shomali said Mr Bolton fears the diplomatic efforts and “relative cooling down of tensions” would put an end to his drive for war and regime change in Tehran.

“The pro-war lobby in the US, orchestrated by John Bolton, and in the Saudi and Israeli capitals, have sensed that the initiative is not with them.

“They are now doubling down in their efforts to spark an exchange of fire by launching a surprise hit on Iran and banking on a response by Tehran, thus facilitating their widening of the conflict to one for regime change,” he told the Star.