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Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018 - Sputnik International

LIVE UPDATES: Oil Tankers in Gulf of Oman Targeted in Suspected 'Attack'

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Earlier in the day, Iranian IRNA news agency reported that the country's rescue services saved 44 sailors from tankers after a reported attack and took them to the Iranian port of Jask.

According to contradictory reports, the Front Altair oil tanker, belonging to Norway’s Frontline company, has sunk after being reportedly attacked in the Gulf of Oman.

The company's spokesman denied media reports that the oil tanker has sunk, saying that it was still afloat but on fire, while Iran's IRNA news agency and Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen broadcaster claimed that the tanker submerged into the waters of the Gulf.

An oil tanker is pictured off the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, which is the main base of the Islamic Republic's navy and is strategically positioned on the Strait of Hormuz; 30 April 2019 - Sputnik International
Iran Rescues 44 Sailors From Two Oil Tankers After Suspected Attack in Gulf of Oman − Reports
Though no confirmation has been provided so far, Taiwanese state energy company CPC said earlier in the day that its oil tanker delivering fuel from the Middle East had been hit by a torpedo.

A representative of the Oman border guard, Nasser Selim, has confirmed to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that at least one oil tanker had suffered an attack in the Gulf of Oman.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Press TV said that two successive blasts affected two oil tankers on Thursday morning in what was described as "attacks".

The incident comes a month after another attack on vessels occurred in the Gulf of Oman. On 12 May, four oil tankers — two Saudi, one Emirati and one Norwegian — were targeted off the coast of Fujairah in what the UAE Foreign Ministry described as acts of sabotage.

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21:41 GMT 13.06.2019

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said that Riyadh has "no reason to disagree with the secretary of state" in the wake of claims by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo that Iran was responsible for the suspected tanker attacks in Oman Gulf. "Iran has a history of doing this," Adel al-Jubeir claimed.

19:39 GMT 13.06.2019

A senior Trump administration official said that Washington wants to ensure "freedom of navigation" in wake of the tanker attacks, adding that US is discussing options on how to protect international shipping in Gulf region, Reuters reported.

Also, an official claimed that the tanker attacks could be tied to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Tehran.

19:33 GMT 13.06.2019

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih has condemned the attacks on two oil tankers and stressed that Saudi Arabia would take all necessary measures to protect its ports and regional waters, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

19:30 GMT 13.06.2019

Explosions on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman are a saddening incident, Omani Oil Minister Mohammed Rumhi told Sputnik on Thursday.
“It’s sad where ever such incidents happen anywhere in the world, but it saddens me more when it happens in our neighborhood," the minister said.

18:22 GMT 13.06.2019

"It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today", Pompeo said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gestures during his and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's joint news conference after their talks in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia May 14, 2019 - Sputnik International
Iran Responsible for Tanker Attacks in Gulf of Oman - Pompeo
18:10 GMT 13.06.2019

An unexploded device, believed to be a limpet mine, was reportedly found on the side of one of two oil tankers attacked earlier in the day in the Gulf of Oman, an unnamed US official told Reuters.

16:23 GMT 13.06.2019

Kuwait Oil Tanker Company said Thursday, amid reports of an attack on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, that it had taken all precautions and was ready to respond to emergencies.

"The company has taken all the necessary preventive safety measures in order to ensure the safe operation of its navy," the company said, as quoted by the KUNA news agency.

The state-run company added that its fleet had not been affected and all operations were running smoothly.

16:02 GMT 13.06.2019

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday afternoon during closed consultations will address the attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a diplomatic source told Sputnik.

"This issue will be discussed under the ‘other matters’ section during today’s consultations on Syria," the source said.

The source noted that the mission of the United States requested to place the recent incident in the Gulf of Oman on the Security Council’s Thursday agenda.

14:50 GMT 13.06.2019
14:49 GMT 13.06.2019
14:40 GMT 13.06.2019

"We are gathering the information about this precise event… The region itself does not need further elements of destabilization… Our call continues to be for maximum restraint," Kocijancic told reporters.

13:31 GMT 13.06.2019
13:20 GMT 13.06.2019

President Donald Trump "has been briefed on the attack on ships in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. Government is providing assistance and will continue to assess the situation”, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

13:16 GMT 13.06.2019

"The news that we have received .. is extremely worrying," said Maas at a news conference with his Albanian counterpart. "An escalation of the situation is dangerous, these are events that could lead to escalation. We need de-escalation and all sides must contribute to that," Maas said.

13:04 GMT 13.06.2019
13:03 GMT 13.06.2019

"Eleven [Russian] people, 10 men and one woman [were saved]. There are no injuries. They are safe. Document processing is currently underway," the spokesperson said.

12:56 GMT 13.06.2019

The crew of a tanker leased by a subsidiary of Japanese shipping company Kokuka Sangyo Ltd. has managed to put out the engine room fire that started after the vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, the Kyodo news agency reported, citing the company's spokespeople

11:47 GMT 13.06.2019

"Of course we are investigating right now. The vessel is still on fire. There is a salvage tug alongside or near the vessel, which is still on fire … The vessel has not sunk as there was some speculation that it has sunk … There doesn’t appear to be any pollution at all", the spokesman said.

11:16 GMT 13.06.2019

"We have 11 Russians on board, one Georgian and 11 Filipinos. All people [were] evacuated from the vessel … They are all well and safe," company spokesman Pat Adamson told Sputnik.

11:02 GMT 13.06.2019
10:54 GMT 13.06.2019

"So it was an explosion followed by a fire. Because we haven’t had a chance to talk to the crew in any detail … I think it will be premature for us to confirm that it was an attack," spokesman Pat Adamson told Sputnik.

10:25 GMT 13.06.2019
10:23 GMT 13.06.2019
10:18 GMT 13.06.2019

"The Iranian government is ready to cooperate for the sake of ensuring regional security, including the security of strategic sea routes," governmental spokesman Ali Rabiei said through the governmental Telegram channel.

09:44 GMT 13.06.2019

"Three explosions on board the vessel were reported. The crew boarded a passing vessel and no injuries have been reported", the statement reads.

 

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