Jeddah: An Iranian-owned oil tanker was struck by two missiles off the Saudi port of Jeddah on Friday, Iranian state television reported, quoting the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) which owns the vessel.
According to Iranian media reports the tanker was set ablaze and suffered heavy damage and was leaking crude about 60 miles (96 km) from Jeddah. The alleged attack is the latest incident involving oil tankers in the Red Sea and Gulf region, and is likely to scale up tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which operates in the region, said it was aware of media reports about the tanker, but did not have any further information at this time. There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. Tensions are already high in the Red Sea shipping area, which links the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean via the Suez Cana.