Oil tankers hit in fresh 'attack' in Gulf of Oman amid Iran tensions
Oil tankers hit in fresh 'attack' in Gulf of Oman amid Iran tensions
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The US has been building up forces in the region for weeks CREDIT: MATT HERBST/ AFP
13 JUNE 2019 • 9:58AM
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Two oil tankers were hit in a suspected attack in the Gulf of Oman early on Thursday, causing oil prices to surge and raising the already
heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The tankers were struck in the same area where the US accused Iran of using naval mines to sabotage four other oil ships in an attack last month.
One of the ships, the Norwegian-owned Front Altair, was "suspected of being hit by a torpedo”, according to Taiwan’s state-owned petrol company. The ship was on fire, its owners said.
The second tanker, Kokuka Courageous, was damaged in a "suspected attack" that breached the hull above the water line while on passage from Saudi Arabia to Singapore, according to Bernhard Schulte Ship management.
The company said the ship was safely afloat.
Oil prices jumped by 4 per cent in response to reports of the attack.
The US Navy said it was helping to evacuate the two damaged tankers and the shipping companies said the crews of both ships were safe.
A US Navy spokesman said: "We are aware of the reported attack on shipping vessels in the Gulf of Oman. US Naval Forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 6:12 a.m. local (Bahrain) time and a second one at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Navy ships are in the area and are rendering assistance."
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO), a unit of the Royal Navy, said it was aware of an incident in the area but gave no further details. “UK and its partners are currently investigating,” UKTMO said.
The alleged attack happened outside the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and Oman through which around 20 per cent of all the world’s oil is transported.
Neither the shipping companies nor the US Navy made any immediate accusations but early suspicions will fall on Iran.
The US has accused accused Iran of sabotaging two oil tankers and two smaller ships near the Emirati port of Fujairah using naval mines on May 12. Iran denied responsibility for the attack.
The latest incident comes amid weeks of heightened tensions between the US and Iran.
The US has been building up forces in the Middle East since early May, when the White House said it had evidence that Iran was preparing attacks against American troops in the region.
US intelligence agencies were alarmed by photographs or Iranian forces loading armed missiles onto small boats in the Persian Gulf.
US intelligence also reportedly picked up evidence that Iran had activated Shia militias in Iraq to carry out attacks against American forces and diplomatic facilities.
Since then the US has sent an aircraft carrier, 1,500 additional troops, a bomber task force and several batteries of missile interceptors to the region.
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he is not looking to provoke a war with Iran but the UK and other allies fear that the two sides could stumble into an unintended conflict.
Meanwhile, Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, is visiting Iran. The trip is officially commemorating 90 years of diplomatic relations between Iran and Japan but Mr Abe has also said he is eager to try to calm tensions between the two sides.
John Bolton, the US national security advisor, accused Iran of being behind previous attacks CREDIT:REUTERS/JOSHUA ROBERTS/FILE PHOTO
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9:58amUS Navy response
A US Navy spokesman said: "We are aware of the reported attack on shipping vessels in the Gulf of Oman.
"US Naval Forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 6.12am local (Bahrain) time and a second one at 7am US Navy ships are in the area and are rendering assistance."
9:56amAlmost 50 crew taken to Iranian port
Forty-four crew members from two tankers involved in an incident near the Strait of Hormuz have been taken to an Iranian port, according to Iran state TV.
9:55amFirst picture of tanker emerges
A Saudi news outlet has claimed to have obtained the first photograph of one of the tankers hit by a suspected attack in the Gulf of Oman.
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Saudi
@AlHadath claims this is a pictures of one of the oil tankers on fire
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Watch the Saudi news report here:
الصور الأولى لناقلة النفط التي تم استهدافها في خليج عُمان
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9:51amOne of the oil tankers 'sinks'
One of the two oil tankers hit by explosions in a suspected attack has sunk, according to reports.
Kann - the public broadcaster in Israel - said that the vessel had gone underwater, but that the crew had been saved.
#BREAKING: One of the two tankers attacked today has sunk. All crew members are safe.
36 people are talking about this9:44amSurge in oil prices after 'suspected attack'
Oil prices have bounced back from a five-month low after a suspected attack on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman as geopolitical tensions simmer in the region, writes
Tom Rees from our Business Desk.
Price suddenly surged after the US Navy revealed that two tankers were damaged near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that transports a fifth of the world's oil.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz after its oil exports were hit by American sanctions and the latest incident in the region comes shortly after two Saudi tankers were sabotaged in an attack the US has blamed on Tehran.
Prices slumped yesterday after another unexpected rise in US crude stockpiles compounded fears of stuttering demand. The rise in tensions helped oil stage a recovery as prices surged as much as 4.5pc to above $62 per barrel in its biggest intraday jump in five months.