DUBAI: The UAE has alleged four commercial vessels were sabotaged after false reports circulated in Lebanese and Iranian media outlets said there had been explosions near Fujairah. The government of Fujairah in a tweet denied reports about blasts inside the port and said the facility was operating normally.
The UAE’s WAM news agency, quoting the country’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday, said: “Four commercial, civilian trading vessels of various nationalities this morning suffered acts of sabotage off the UAE’s eastern coast. Subjecting commercial vessels to sabotage operations and threatening the lives of their crew is considered a dangerous development.”
The statement said the ships were near the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of Fujairah. However, the UAE did not elaborate on the sabotage or apportion any blame. It said the incident was being investigated “in cooperation with local and international bodies” and noted there were “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel”.
Meanwhile on Monday, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al Falih said two Saudi oil tankers were targeted the previous day in “a sabotage attack” off the coast of Fujairah and sustained “significant damage”. 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 customers in the US, Al Falih said in a statement carried by the government-run SPA news agency.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened to the Saudi tankers. Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. He also warned against any “conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers” and “adventurism by foreigners” to undermine the maritime region’s stability and security.