I think this was a trial balloon to see how his base reacts to this kind of evidence against Iran.

The NYTimes does establish that the boat in the video does match Iranian patrol boats, down to the model, the placement of anti-aircraft guns, the chevron on the front. https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000006558872/iran-tanker-video.html?searchResultPosition=12

But because those of us who aren't Trumpies know of such things as "Deep Fakes," in which peoples' faces in videos can be made to appear to be someone else and because of Trump's 10,000 lies and because of Saudi Arabia's own interest in the US joining the conflict against Iran, we can't believe these kinds of clips. Besides all that, can you just remove a mine attached to a tanker like that by hand without danger?

In addition, the Japanese owner of the vessel in the video said his crew doesn't believe the attack occurred from a mine but from a flying object. Strange that he didn't say missile or weapons fire.

Any attack from the US on Iran now would be viewed by most rational people as a reach toward the war Trump needs to turn his approval ratings around. But what does his base say? That's what's going to tell the tale of what he does next.