Saudi Arabia has said that two of its tankers were among the four ships attacked off Fujairah early on Sunday.
Energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said the two ships were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the UAE and sustained “significant damage”, in a statement carried early Monday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
“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 Saudi Aramco’s customers in the US,” he said.
“Fortunately, the attack didn’t lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.”
Saudi authorities did not disclose the identity of the two ships involved in the incident.
Bahri ships identified
Intertanko said in a note that it had seen photos showing that "at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon".
Trading and shipping sources cited by Reuters identified two of the vessels as the 299,000-dwt Bahri-owned VLCC Amjad (built 2017) and the 105,000-dwt aframax Al Marzoqah (built 1999), operated by Red Sea Marine Services of Dubai, which has been contacted for comment.
Bahri did not respond to a request for comment, the news agency said.
AIS data shows both vessels moored off Fujairah on Monday.
Thome ship hit
The other one of the four was a Norwegian ship, Saudi-funded Al Arabiya TV said.
Norwegian manager Thome named the vessel as its 47,000-dwt crude tanker Andrea Victory (built 2005).
It said none of the crew was hurt.
Andrea Victory is on bareboat charter to EGD Shipholding.
The UAE on Sunday said an alleged sabotage attack targeted four commercial ships, without divulging the identity of the vessels.
Al-Falih denounced the attack saying that it aims to “undermine the freedom of maritime navigation, and the security of oil supplies” to consumers all over the world.
He also emphasized the joint responsibility of the international community to “protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets, and the danger they pose to the global economy”.
Iran: "dreadful attack"
Last week, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) warned that US commercial ships, including oil tankers, sailing through key Middle East waterways could be targeted by Iran in one of the threats to US interests posed by Tehran.
The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately comment.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman called the incidents “worrisome and dreadful”, and asked for an investigation into the matter, according to The Guardian.
A number of Arab countries on Monday are reported to have denounced the attack on four commercial ships east of Fujairah, according to a separate statement from the SPA.
“In separate statements, each of Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan described the event as a serious development and escalation that reflects evil intents of the sides who planned and executed those operations putting the safety of navigation in the region in great jeopardy and threatening the lives of civil crews working on sea vessels,” the agency statement said.
