Two explosions hit the Iranian oil tanker Sabity, which is operated by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), near the Saudi port city of Jeddah, Mehr News reported.
NIOC’s public relation’s office said on Friday that two explosions, “likely by missiles,” hit the vessel at 5:00 AM and then at 5:20 AM Friday, 60 miles off the coast of Jeddah.
NIOC said the explosion hit the vessel’s hull, causing heavy damages to its main reservoirs, resulting in an oil spill in the Red Sea. It added that the crew is safe and the ship is in stable condition.
“Only the body of the ship has been damaged and the crew is trying to control it,” the message said.
Technical experts on the oil tanker and experts in NIOC headquarters are currently investigating the cause of the explosions.
The rocket attack comes after Saudi Arabia’s oil supply came under an attack by drones and cruise missiles on September 14, cutting in half the Saudi oil production.
Yemen’s Iran-sponsored Houthi terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Saudi oil fields, but a US official insist the attacks originated in south-western Iran.