Iran says oil tanker struck by two rockets off Saudi Arabia | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Iran says oil tanker struck by two rockets off Saudi Arabia

Associated Press | ByAssociated Press
Oct 11, 2019 12:17 PM IST

The reported explosion comes after the US has alleged that Iran attacked oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, something denied by Tehran.

Two rockets struck an Iranian tanker traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia on Friday, Iranian officials said, the latest incident in the region amid months of heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S.

June 13, 2019 file photo of an oil tanker on fire in the sea of Oman. Iran’s state-run news agency and other media say an explosion has struck an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia on Friday.(Representative Image/AP File Photo)
June 13, 2019 file photo of an oil tanker on fire in the sea of Oman. Iran’s state-run news agency and other media say an explosion has struck an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia on Friday.(Representative Image/AP File Photo)

There was no immediate word from Saudi Arabia on the reported attack.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

State television said the explosion damaged two storerooms aboard the unnamed oil tanker and caused an oil leak into the Red Sea near the Saudi port city of Jiddah.

The state-run IRNA news agency, quoting Iran’s National Iranian Tanker Co., identified the stricken vessel as the Sabity. That vessel last turned on its tracking devices in August near the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.

Lt. Pete Pagano, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet overseeing the Mideast, said authorities there were “aware of reports of this incident,” but declined to comment further.

The reported attack comes after the U.S. has alleged that in past months Iran attacked oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, something denied by Tehran.

Friday’s incident could push tensions between Iran and the U.S. even higher, more than a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear deal and imposed sanctions now crushing Iran’s economy.

The mysterious attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran shooting down a U.S. military surveillance drone and other incidents across the wider Middle East followed Trump’s decision.

The latest assault saw Saudi Arabia’s vital oil industry come under a drone-and-cruise-missile attack, halving the kingdom’s output. The U.S. has blamed Iran for the attack, something denied by Tehran. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, whom the kingdom is fighting in a yearslong war, claimed that assault, though analysts say the missiles used in the attack wouldn’t have the range to reach the sites from Yemen.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On