Iran says missiles strike its oil tanker off Saudi Arabia

Iran said Friday two missiles struck one of its oil tankers traveling through Red Sea off coast of Saudi Arabia, a mysterious assault t immediately corroborated that still spiked oil prices amid months of heightened tensions at sea across wider Mideast. re was ackwledgment of incident from Saudi Arabia, which in September h more than half of its daily crude oil production kcked out by an assault U.S. blamed on Iran, something denied by Tehran. All attacks came after President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers and impose crushing sanctions targeting Iran’s crude oil sales and shipments. Iranian officials warned for weeks that if y couldn’t sell ir oil, neir would anyone else in region.
“This latest incident, if confirmed to be an act of aggression, is highly likely to be part of wider narrative of deteriorating relations between Saudi and U.S. and Iran,” private maritime security firm Dry Maritime warned.

“It is likely that region ... will face ar period of increasing maritime threats, as Iranian and Saudi geopolitical stand-off continues,” it ded.

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attack reportedly took place around 5 a.m.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said U.S. will send fighter jets and ditional air defenses to Saudis to help defend kingdom against Iran amid heightened tensions. He called Saudi Arabia a longstanding security partner in region. attack reportedly took place around 5 a.m. and damd two storerooms aboard oil tanker Sabiti, state media reported. It also briefly caused an oil leak into Red Sea near Saudi port city of Jiddah that later was stopped, state-run IRNA news ncy reported. Sabiti turned on its tracking devices late Friday morning in Red Sea, putting its location some 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Jiddah, according to data from MarineTraffic.com. ship is carrying some 1 million barrels of crude oil, according to an analysis from data firm Refinitiv. Sabiti last turned on its tracking devices in August near Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. Iranian tankers routinely turn off ir trackers as U.S. sanctions target sale of Iran’s crude oil. Ims released by Iran’s Petroleum Ministry appeared to show dam to Sabiti visible from its bridge, though y did t show ship’s sides. Satellite ims of area showed visible smoke. ministry’s SHANA news ncy said ship r any authority in area responded to its distress messs.

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An “attack” carried out by those committing “dangerous venturism”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi described incident Friday as an “attack” carried out by those committing “dangerous venturism.” In a statement, Mousavi said Sabiti was struck twice in span of a half-hour and an investigation was underway. Iranian authorities did t say who y suspected of launching missiles, suggesting officials were waiting to assess incident while waiting for a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday. Khan met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in September on sidelines of U.N. General Assembly. He also met him on an April visit to Tehran. Khan has been seeking to serve as a go-between for Iran and Saudi Arabia.Lt. Pete Paga, a spokesman for U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet overseeing Mideast, said authorities re were “aware of reports of this incident,” but declined to comment furr. Benchmark Brent crude oil spiked over 2% in tring Friday before dropping back down under $60 a barrel.

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Series of oil tanker attacks near Strait of Hormuz

Since May, re have been a series of oil tanker attacks near Strait of Hormuz, mouth of Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil passes. While Tehran denies being involved, U.S. Navy says Iran used magnetic mines on vessels. Navy released video it said showed Iranian Revolutionary Guard members taking an unexploded mine off one vessel, an incident still t explained by Tehran. Iran meanwhile has shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone and seized several oil tankers amid heightened tensions. latest assault saw Saudi Arabia’s vital oil industry come under a drone-and-cruise-missile attack, halving kingdom’s output. U.S. has blamed Iran for attack, something denied by Tehran. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, whom kingdom is fighting in a yearslong war, claimed that assault, though analysts say missiles used in attack wouldn’t have range to reach sites from Yemen. Friday’s incident also renewed questions about safety in Red Sea, ar crucial shipping route. Mousavi said that Iranian tankers have been targeted by “damaging activities” over recent months in Red Sea. He did t elaborate. In May, an Iranian oil tanker carrying more than 1 million barrels of fuel oil suffered a reported malfunction in same area as Sabiti came under attack. kingdom helped Happiness 1 reach anchor off Jiddah, where it was repaired and later left. In its analysis Friday, Dry Maritime said incident involving Happiness 1 bore “ hallmarks of a potentially explosive incident.”Iran said in August ar oil tanker, Helm, faced a technical failure while passing through Red Sea, without elaborating.

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