Drone Strike Ignites Fire on Kuwaiti Tanker in UAE Amid Rising Tensions in Arabian Gulf.
A drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil tanker at Dubai Port has sparked a fire that was subsequently extinguished, according to local authorities. The incident involved the Al Salmi tanker, which was reportedly struck while anchored in the United Arab Emirates. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) confirmed that the vessel was fully loaded with approximately two million barrels of oil from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, destined for Qingdao, China.
Dubai authorities reported that the fire was contained without any oil leakage or injuries. The Dubai Media Office stated that response teams managed to control the situation effectively. However, KPC issued a warning regarding the potential for an oil spill in the surrounding waters. Eyewitness accounts indicated that multiple loud explosions were heard in Dubai during the evening hours leading into the early morning, raising concerns among residents.
This attack is part of a broader pattern of assaults on merchant vessels in the Gulf region, which have intensified since the onset of hostilities involving the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Maritime security experts noted that earlier on the same day, a Greek-owned container ship off the coast of Saudi Arabia reported projectiles landing near it, while a Thai cargo ship, the Mayuree Naree, was disabled by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz, with three crew members reported missing.
In addition to the incident in Dubai, there have been numerous attacks reported across the Gulf, affecting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry announced that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed multiple drones and ballistic missiles aimed at various targets, including the Riyadh region. Iranian officials have claimed that their operations are focused on U.S. forces in the region, despite the civilian nature of some of the targets affected by the recent assaults.
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