Saudi Energy Minister Says 2 Oil Tankers Hit In “Sabotage Attack” Off UAE Coast Have “Significant Damage”

By Staff, Agencies

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were targeted on Sunday in “a sabotage attack” off the coast of Fujairah, part of the United Arab Emirates, threatening the security of global oil supplies.

One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco’s customers in the United States, Falih said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

The attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, he added.

On Sunday, the UAE foreign ministry said four commercial vessels were targeted by “sabotage operations” near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates without causing casualties. It gave no details of the nature of the sabotage.

On Sunday the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen broadcaster, citing local media, said that several large explosions had occurred in the port of Fujairah.

The government of Fujairah denied on Sunday media reports of several large explosions taking place at the emirate's port, insisting that the port was functioning as usual. 

The foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates, in its turn, said that four merchant vessels had been targeted in "acts of sabotage" in Gulf waters off its coast, refuting previous reports.