Kuwaiti Oil Tanker Targeted in Iranian Drone Attack at Dubai Port

Istanbul (ANTARA) - Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has announced that a giant tanker carrying Kuwaiti crude oil, Al Salmi, was attacked by an Iranian drone while anchored at Dubai port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the early hours of Tuesday local time.

Reports indicate that the tanker was struck at 00.10 local time (03.10 WIB) when the vessel was fully loaded with crude oil at the time of the incident.

According to a statement issued by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the attack caused material damage to the ship’s hull and sparked a fire on board. Kuwait Petroleum has warned of the possibility of an oil leak into surrounding waters.

Dubai Media Office stated that there were no injuries and all 24 crew members are safe.

Meanwhile, Dubai Authorities said that firefighting teams successfully controlled the incident. The authorities also added that no oil spill has been reported, following the warning from Kuwait Petroleum.

Brent crude oil was trading at $115.35 per barrel at 23.06 GMT (06.06 WIB), up 2.57 percent.

Regional tensions continue to escalate since Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran on 28 February, killing more than 1,340 people, including the then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which host US military assets. These counterattacks have caused casualties and infrastructure damage, as well as disrupting global markets and the aviation sector.

Source: Anadolu