DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels targeted by a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), condemning it as an attempt to undermine security of global crude supplies.

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were hit by sabotage near the emirate of Fujairah, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE gave no details on the nature of the sabotage or who was behind it. It said there were no casualties and operations at Fujairah port were normal.

The strait, a vital global oil and gas shipping route, separates the Gulf states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. military’s presence in the region.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement that one of the two Saudi vessels attacked was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Saudi Aramco’s customers in the United States.

The attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, said the statement carried on state news agency SPA.

Trading and shipping sources identified the Saudi vessels as Bahri-owned very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah. National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) did not respond to a request for comment.

Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and “security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world”.

“The international community has a joint responsibility 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,” he said.

The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday that the incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, have not been confirmed and urged caution when transiting the area. It said “the precise means of attack or sabotage is unknown”.

Earlier this month, the Maritime Administration warned that U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through key Middle East waterways could be targeted by Iran in one of the threats to U.S. interests posed by Tehran.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman called the incidents on Sunday to ships near the coast of Fujairah “worrisome and dreadful”, and asked for an investigation into the matter. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Latest on alleged sabotage of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (all times local):

Iran’s Foreign Ministry is calling for clarification about what happened with two Saudi oil tankers that the kingdom said were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Monday expressed concerns over the explosions that affected the oil tankers and said there should be more information about what exactly happened.

He says the security of shipping and maritime transport in the region is of paramount importance.

The state-run IRNA news agency also quoted Mousavi on Monday as cautioning against any “conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers” and “adventurism by foreigners” to undermine the region’s stability and security.

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister says two Saudi oil tankers were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and sustained “significant damage.”

Khalid Al-Falih made the comments in a statement carried early Monday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

He said the two tankers were targeted off the coast of Fujairah.

He said one tanker was en route to the kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the United States.

He did not identify the tankers.

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.”

The UAE on Sunday said an alleged sabotage attack targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects.

The U.S. has issued a new alert to maritime traffic over alleged “acts of sabotage” of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between American and Iran.

The U.S. Maritime Administration, which stressing the incidents had not been confirmed, warned shippers early Monday to exercise caution when travelling past Fujairah, a port city on the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman.

It gave co-ordinates of the alleged sabotage, putting it just north of Fujairah.

The UAE on Sunday said the sabotage targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the nearby Emirati port in Fujairah, which bunkers and ships oil. </s> (CNN) Four ships were targeted on Sunday near the strategic Emirati port of Fujairah, in what the UAE described as a "sabotage attack." One was flying a UAE flag, and another the Norwegian flag. The other two were tankers owned by Saudi Arabia, which described the incident as a threat to the security of global oil supplies.

There were no injuries or deaths, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged sabotage, or offer any indication as to who might be responsible.

Tensions have risen in the oil-rich region in recent weeks amid the deployment of a growing number of United States military assets to the Middle East, due to deteriorating relations with Iran

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said Monday that the incidents were "alarming and regrettable," and requested further information on the alleged sabotage. He also warned against "plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and called for "vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements."

Several US officials are cautioning there is no final conclusion on how the ships were damaged. One US official pointed out the lack of detail from the UAE and Saudi Arabia about how the ships were damaged.

In a tweet, Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said investigations in the incident were ongoing but that the government had its "own readings and conclusions."

"The international community (needs to) assume its responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to undermine the security and safety of maritime traffic," the ministry said.

What we know

The incident took place near UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the emirate of Fujairah, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. The ministry added that authorities were working with local and international bodies to investigate the incident, which it described as a "dangerous development."

Images that CNN captured of the Norwegian tanker, Andrea Victory, show damage sustained to the hull of the vessel. In a statement Monday, Thome Ship Management, which manages the ship, confirmed it suffered hull damage after being struck by an unknown object at the waterline and said that it was not in any danger of sinking.

One of the Saudi vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to customers in the US, Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Monday. While the agency didn't mention casualties or oil spills, it did say there had been "significant damage to the structures of the two vessels."

On Monday, the UAE formally asked the US for technical assistance in assessing the vessels' damage, according to a US official. The US experts will look at the damage patterns, try to recover any material from the site, and determine if some kind of missile or weapon hit the ships.

A Monday photo shows the oil tanker "Amjad," one of two Saudi-owned vessels Riyadh says were sabotaged.

Rumblings about Iran

Last week, the US Maritime Administration issued an advisory that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting commercial vessels and oil production infrastructure in the region. The warning followed Iran's announcement that it was partially withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal , the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the US itself unilaterally exited one year ago.

US Air Force F-15s and F-35s, along with B-52 bombers, are now flying visible air patrols over the Persian Gulf, according to a US official, who said that the flights were designed to demonstrate to both Iran and US allies that US forces are in a deterrence mode.

Several officials say that the US is continuing to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) flights in the Middle East.

Also on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a planned visit to Moscow on Monday and flew to Brussels for talks on Iran with his counterparts from the UK, Germany, France.

Asked later that day if the US was going to war with Iran and if the US was seeking regime change there, Trump said, "We'll see what happens with Iran."

The Strait of Hormuz: A strategic passage

Iran borders the Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf) and the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway

The US Energy Information Administration calls the Strait of Hormuz "the world's most important oil transit chokepoint," with an estimated 20% of oil traded worldwide moving through the channel, which is about 30 miles wide at its narrowest point.

Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih described the incident as a deliberate attempt to "undermine the freedom of maritime navigation, and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world."

A senior source at Saudi Arabia's ministry of energy told CNN that the attacks were particularly alarming because the tankers were targeted outside the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE denied earlier reports

The accusations of sabotage come less than 24 hours after the UAE government denied reports alleging that seven oil tankers were involved in an explosion in the port of Fujairah on Sunday morning.

The reports were carried first by Lebanon's pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen satellite channel and later picked up by Iran's state-owned Press TV and other outlets.

"The operations at the port are going as normal," a statement from the Emirates News Agency said Sunday. "Media outlets must be responsible and rely on official sources."

The "Al-Marzoqah" tanker belongs to the privately-owned Dubai-based Red Sea Marine Services firm, which was established in Jeddah in 1987.

In a statement Sunday, the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned those reported "sabotage operations," with council General Secretary Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani calling the incident a "dangerous escalation (that) speaks of the evil intentions" of whoever carried out the attack. </s> UAE says 4 ships targeted by 'sabotage' off its coast

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates says that four commercial ships "were subjected to sabotage operations" after false reports circulated in Lebanese and Iranian media outlets saying there had been explosions at one of the nation's seaports.

The statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency on Sunday did not say who the UAE suspected of carrying out the sabotage or identify the ships involved.

The statement said there had been "no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels" and "no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel."

Earlier Sunday, pro-Iran Lebanese media and Iranian media falsely reported there had been explosions at oil tankers at the port of Fujairah. The Associated Press found the reports to be unfounded after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates says that four commercial ships “were subjected to sabotage operations” after false reports circulated in Lebanese and Iranian media outlets saying there had been explosions at one of the nation’s seaports.

The statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency on Sunday did not say who the UAE suspected of carrying out the sabotage or identify the ships involved.

The statement said there had been “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.”

Earlier Sunday, pro-Iran Lebanese media and Iranian media falsely reported there had been explosions at oil tankers at the port of Fujairah. The Associated Press found the reports to be unfounded after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses. </s> Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious "sabotage attacks" that further inflamed Gulf tensions on Monday amid a standoff between the United States and Iran.

In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran.

Tehran called for an investigation into Sunday's "alarming" attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf.

The US has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats.

Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic's regional arch-rival, condemned "the acts of sabotage which targeted commercial and civilian vessels near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates", a foreign ministry source said.

"This criminal act constitutes a serious threat to the security and safety of maritime navigation and adversely impacts regional and international peace and security," the source added.

A UAE government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and an Emirati ship, the A. Michel.

The Andrea Victory's managers, Thome Group, said the tanker had a hole in the hull area "after being struck by an unknown object on the waterline".

The crew were unharmed and the ship was not in any danger of sinking, it said.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom's two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility.

The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said the Emirates would probe the "deliberate sabotage" of the ships.

Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States.

"If, and it's an 'IF', there really has been a deliberate attempt to damage these oil tankers, then it's possibly a warning from Iran about the consequences of anybody taking military action against Iranian targets anywhere in the region," said Middle East analyst Neil Partrick.

Oil prices rose on world markets on Monday with benchmark Brent North Sea crude up 1.6 percent at $71.74 a barrel in London.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi expressed concern over the incidents which he called "alarming and regrettable".

He "warned against plots by ill-wishers to disrupt regional security" and "called for the vigilance of regional states in the face of any adventurism by foreign elements", a statement said.

Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi minister denounced the attack on the vessels, saying it "aims to undermine the freedom of maritime navigation and the security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world."

The UAE had earlier categorically denied reports on social media of massive explosions in oil tankers off the coast of Fujairah, whose port on Monday was calm with no signs of damage.

Karen Young, a resident scholar at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the incidents were "clearly... more than a one off attack, but something more coordinated."

"Tensions are high and have been escalated by the US as well. We have to be wary of tit for tat provocations, and those that may be misinterpreted or even false flag actions," she told AFP.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council -- which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- as well as the Arab League condemned Sunday's incident.

"This is a dangerous escalation representing evil intentions by those that planned and executed this operation," said GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani.

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the "criminal acts were a dangerous violation of the freedom and safety of trade".

"We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," he said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he used a one-on-one meeting with Pompeo to stress that "we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation".

Shiite-majority Iran rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East, with the two taking opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts including in Yemen.

Last year, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandab strait -- a vital shipping route between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa -- after two of its ships were attacked by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels.

The increasing tensions come after Tehran said Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal that has since been abandoned by Washington. </s> FUJAIRAH (United Arab Emirates): Saudi Arabia on Monday said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States.

The announcement by the kingdom's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage on Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah.

The statement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible.

The US has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran.

Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the Saudi tankers. The ministry' spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident.

Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security.

Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal.

In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday.

"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 United States," al-Falih 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 Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage.

The kingdom's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident in a statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Monday as a "criminal act" that threatens the "safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security."

Al-Falih also said the attack aimed to undermine the "security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world" and emphasized the "joint responsibility of the international community to protect" the safety of maritime navigation and oil tankers.

Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a "serious escalation."

"Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. issued a new warning early Monday to sailors over alleged “acts of sabotage” targeting ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between America and Iran. The UAE’s regional allies meanwhile condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of the four ships off the coast of Fujairah, which came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city’s port.

Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reported incident comes as the U.S. has warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran’s economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a “serious escalation” in an overnight statement.

“Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,” Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen’s internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE’s Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating “in co-operation with local and international bodies.” It said there were “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.”

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting “Gulf sources,” falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah’s port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated.

Fujairah’s port is about 140 kilometres (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Sunday’s incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic.

“Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz,” the warning read. “Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf.” Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing “the incident has not been confirmed.” It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to say date is Monday. </s> The United Arab Emirates has said that four commercial ships were yesterday sabotaged in the Persian Gulf.

No injuries or deaths were caused by the breach and no fuel was spilled, according to the country's foreign ministry which has so far stopped short of accusing someone for the incident.

In recent weeks, the stretch of water off the Oman coast has become a flashpoint in heightened tensions between the United States and Iran that have threatened to boil over since President Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions which have crippled the Iranian economy.

And the alleged sabotage of the merchant ships comes as aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers are deployed to bolster the American Navy's grip on the region.

In an escalation of the cold war being fought by the White House and Tehran, the US also warned ships in the region that they risk attack from 'Iran or its proxies'.

The statement from the UAE's Foreign Ministry pinpointed the supposedly sabotaged ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which controls the waters, did not immediately offer comment on the incident.

Hours before yesterday's sabotage, Lebanon's pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting 'Gulf sources,' falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck the strategically located Fujairah's port.

State media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved in the incident.

But subsequent investigations have since found the report about explosions at the port to be untrue.

These false reports came after the warning put out by the US government alerting sea traffic to the perceived threat posed by Iranian ships.

The warning read: 'Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz.

'Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf.'
The United Arab Emirates reports four commercial vessels were subject to "sabotage operations" just outside its territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman and two of the vessels suffer "significant damage" to their structure off the coast of Fujairah. One of the vessels was en route to the United Arab Emirates to be loaded with Saudi Arabia crude oil and sent to the United States.