- The two tankers were targeted off the coast of the UAE
- One tanker was en route to 抖阴短视频 to be loaded with crude oil to send to the US
RIYADH: 抖阴短视频鈥檚 energy minister said on Monday that two Saudi tankers were targeted in a 鈥渟abotage attack鈥� off the coast of the UAE, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Khalid Al-Falih said the two tankers were targeted off the coast of Fujairah. He explained that one tanker was en route to the Kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the United States to supply Saudi Aramco customers.
鈥淔ortunately, the attack didn鈥檛 lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels,鈥� Al-Falih said.
Al-Falih鈥檚 comments came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE鈥檚 regional allies condemned the reported sabotage of four ships off the coast of Fujairah.
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RELATED: Four commercial vessels targeted by 鈥榮abotage鈥� near UAE waters: Foreign ministry
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Kingdom condemned the acts of sabotage that targeted commercial cargo ships near the territorial waters of the UAE.
鈥淭his criminal act poses a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime traffic and negatively affects regional and international peace and security,鈥� the ministry said.
The UAE foreign ministry had reported on Sunday that four commercial vessels were targeted near its territorial waters.
The foreign ministry released a statement saying that the vessels - targeted at a distance of 115 kilometers from Iran - were 鈥渃ivilian trading vessels of various nationalities鈥�, and that the UAE was investigating the incident with local and international bodies.
The UAE鈥檚 Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, later tweeted that he welcomed the support of his country鈥檚 allies.
He said the investigation was being carried out in a professional fashion and that the truth would be revealed.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran, saying that if Tehran does "anything" in the form of an attack "they will suffer greatly."
The incident involving Saudi ships raised risks for shippers in a region vital to global energy supplies at a time of increasing tensions between the US and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.
Trump was asked about the sabotage, and responded: "It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens."
He spoke to reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with the prime minister of Hungary.
A US official says an American military team鈥檚 initial assessment is that Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives to blow large holes in four ships.
The official says each ship has a 5-to-10-foot hole in it, near or just below the water line. The US military team assesses that the holes were caused by explosive charges.
The UAE asked the US to help investigate the damage.
The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Rumors about ships inside the port being sabotaged were unfounded, the UAE ministry added.
The Arab League condemned the attacks, describing them as a "crime" and added that the league would stand by the UAE and 抖阴短视频 in their efforts to defend their security.
The port of Fujairah continues to operate as normal and there were no victims of the sabotage incidentThe ministry added that targeting merchant ships and threatening the lives of crew members is a 鈥渄angerous development,鈥� and that the government considers the acts of sabotage to be a threat to the safety and security of the UAE.
The statement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city鈥檚 port.
The US has warned ships that 鈥淚ran or its proxies鈥� could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran.
However, Iran on Monday called attacks on ships in the Gulf 鈥渁larming鈥�, after the UAE and 抖阴短视频 said several vessels including oil tankers were damaged in acts of sabotage off the Emirati coast.
The incidents are 鈥渁larming and regrettable,鈥� Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry鈥檚 website, calling for a probe into the attacks and warning of 鈥渁dventurism鈥� by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.
Meanwhile, the European Union鈥檚 foreign policy and security chief, Federica Mogherini, urged to avoid any escalation on Iran. Mogherini said that a discussion would be held on Monday how to continue backing full implementation of the nuclear deal.
Britain鈥檚 Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt also warned of the risks of an unintended conflict between the US and Iran over the unraveling nuclear deal.
鈥淲e are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended,鈥� Hunt told reporters in Brussels, adding that it was crucial not to put Iran back on the path of re-nuclearisation.
(With AFP, AP, and Reuters)