Attacks on tankers off Saudi Arabia

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 10.37

 

The Iran war has created uncertainty for shipping on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. The picture shows ships and boats in the disputed Strait of Hormuz in early August. Photo: Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP/TT

A tanker in the Red Sea, west of Saudi Arabia, has been attacked and is on fire, according to maritime authorities.

Meanwhile, Oman's foreign minister is preparing to visit Iran to discuss the disputed Strait of Hormuz.

The tanker was off the Saudi port of Yanbu when it was hit by an unknown projectile that caused a fire on deck, according to the British Navy's maritime surveillance agency UKMTO. No one on the crew is reported to have been injured and there are no reports of any spills.

Shipping in both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf has been affected by the Iran war, including when Tehran attacked what it describes as pro-US targets in the region. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil trade and the passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, has been the subject of alleged blockades in rounds by both the United States and Iran.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is due to attend talks in Tehran on Tuesday on the future regulation of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has repeatedly said it wants ships passing through the strait to pay a fee. That has angered US President Donald Trump, who wants the waterway to remain open as it was before the war. Last week, Trump threatened to “bomb the shit out of” Oman.