Iranian oil tanker attacked off Jeddah shore

ANKARA

A missile attack caused an explosion at an Iranian oil tanker off Saudi port city of Jeddah on Friday, Iranian News Agency (IRNA) said.

On Friday morning, an Iranian oil tanker was attacked by missiles off the Saudi shores in the Red Sea, 60 miles from Jeddah, according to IRNA.

The reports said experts on the oil tanker were investigating the attack and suspects the attack being a "terror action".

The state-owned Al-Alam TV quoted an anonymous source as saying that "the attack on the oil tanker -- named SABITY -- was caused by two missiles (at 5 a.m. Iranian local time, 0130GMT) while it was 60 miles off the Saudi Jeddah port."

It also said that none of the crew were injured in the attack, however it caused oil leakage.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi decried the attack on the Iranian vessel.

In remarks quoted by IRNA, Mousavi said: "Investigations indicate that the oil tanker has been targeted two times in half an hour interval from eastern Red Sea,"

"Over the past months, some destructive moves against the Iranian tankers have been carried out and relative investigations to identify those masterminding the move are underway," he said, noting that said "those behind the attack should be responsible for their dangerous adventurism."

He added that investigations were underway to determine "the cause of the incident" the results of which he said would be announced later.

The oil tanker's owner company, the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), said in a statement that "no fire aboard the ship and the ship is completely stable."

No comments were made by the Saudi authorities on the attack so far.

Tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran has mounted recently after attacks on two oil facilities of Aramco, an attack for which Riyadh and Washington held Tehran responsible, which the country has denied.