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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

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

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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