Tanker hit off Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, crew evacuated, UKMTO says
A tanker was hit off Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, 68 nautical miles from Jubail, forcing its crew to evacuate. UKMTO says all crew are reported safe
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An aerial view of the coast of the Red Sea is seen through the window of an airplane, near Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, February 6, 2025.
Reuters
A tanker was struck by an “unknown projectile” 68 nautical miles off Jubail on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast on Friday, forcing its crew to evacuate, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday.
The agency said all crew are reported safe.
Which tanker was hit off Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast?
Vanguard, another maritime security agency, identified the ship as the Marshall Islands-flagged Safeen Principal crude oil tanker. It lost power and suffered an engine-room fire, Vanguard said. UKMTO described the weapon as an “unknown projectile” and said all crew were reported safe.
Was another ship attacked in the same area?
UKMTO later said that, also on Friday, a ship in the same area was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade. The crew was reported safe.
Why are ships being attacked in the Gulf?
Ships have regularly come under Iranian fire during the Middle East war, as Iran blockades the Strait of Hormuz, the only exit route for oil and gas exports via the Gulf sea.
About one-fifth of global oil exports passed through Hormuz before the war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Oil prices have soared during the war.
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