TEHRAN: Suspected missile strikes hit an Iranian oil tanker off the Saudi coast on Friday, its owner said, the first Iranian vessel targeted since a spate of attacks in the Gulf Washington blamed on Tehran.The National Iranian tanker Company said the hull of the Sabiti was hit by two separate explosions off the Saudi port of Jeddah, saying they were “probably caused by missile strikes”.Oil prices surged more than two per cent on the news, which raised fresh concerns about Middle East supply with tensions still high after last month’s attacks on Saudi facilities onshore. In those attacks, two of Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil installations were hit, wiping out five per cent of global production.The National Iranian tanker Company said the hull of the vessel was hit by two separate explosions about 100 kilometres (60 miles) off the Saudi coast, which damaged two of its tanks on the starboard side.It identified the tanker as the Sabiti and said the blasts were “probably caused by missile strikes” but denied media reports that they originated from Saudi territory. “All the ship’s crew are safe and the ship is stable too,” NITC said, adding those on board were trying to repair the damage. It added the ship is slowly moving back towards the Gulf.Iran’s foreign ministry said the tanker was attacked “from a location close to the corridor it was passing, east of the Red Sea”. Oil was leaking from the tanker into the waters of the Red Sea, it added.“The responsibility of this incident, including the serious environmental pollution, falls on the perpetrators of this reckless act,” said ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi, adding that investigations are continuing.According to ship tracking service TankerTrackers, the Sabiti is fully laden with one million barrels and has declared the Gulf as its destination. Pictures published by Iranian state television showed the ship’s deck without any outward signs of damage.It comes after a spate of still unexplained attacks on shipping in and around the vital seaway to the Gulf involving Iran and Western powers. Washington accused Tehran of attacking the vessels with mines, something it strongly denied.The attack on the Iranian tanker comes ahead of a planned visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is expected to make an effort to defuse tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.China meanwhile called on all parties to “exercise restraint” in the “highly complex and sensitive” situation.
10-12-2019, 12:58 PM
Iran tanker hit by ?missile strikes? off Saudi coast
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