Saudi Arabia says oil tankers sabotaged near UAE coast

Saudi Arabia on Monday said four of its oil tankers were targeted Sunday morning off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, with two experiencing "significant damage" during the sabotage attack.

One of the tankers was on its way to pick up Saudi oil bound for the United States, The Associated Press reports. Saudi Arabia says no one was hurt in the attack, and no oil was spilled. The kingdom did not reveal which vessels were allegedly attacked, or who might have been behind the sabotage.

On Thursday, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued a warning that "Iran and/or its regional proxies" could be targeting commercial sea traffic in the region; on Sunday, the agency issued a follow-up warning, but said the "incident has not been confirmed." Last week, National Security Adviser John Bolton announced the U.S. was deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Middle East, in order to send Iran a "clear and unmistakable message."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up