Juan Cole said that mines that damaged oil tankers could have been planted by Houthis.

I don't think that the bullshitter or his allies would hesitate to make a false flag attack. If someone published a leak as evidence of this, they would only call that "fake news" and prosecute the leaker.

However, Cole thinks it is possible the attack was done by Iran. Here's a writer who considers it a natural result to US economic warfare.