In a major escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a fully laden Kuwaiti oil tanker was attacked by Iran in the anchorage area of Dubai’s port on Tuesday, damaging the hull and triggering a fire that the Dubai authorities later said was extinguished.
However, the Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) has reportedly flagged concerns of an “oil spill in the surrounding waters”, news agency Reuters reported.
“Emergency response and firefighting teams were immediately mobilized and are currently working to contain and control the situation in close coordination with the relevant authorities,” the KPC was earlier quoted as saying. Track live updates on the Iran-US war here.
Where was the Kuwaiti tanker headed?
According to Reuters, Al-Salmi, the Kuwaiti tanker that was attacked, crossed the Strait of Hormuz in late February, around the same time the US-Israel joint strikes on Iran took place, triggering the ongoing war.
Ship tracking data reportedly shows that the tanker then reached Saudi Arabia’s Khafji port and then sailed onward to Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi for another cargo, before sailing, fully laden, eastward to the UAE. It had since been in Dubai.
The news agency also said that Al-Salmi was sailing under Kuwait’s flag when it entered the Gulf and was bound for China’s Qingdao. At times, the carrier switched to saying it had Chinese cargo.
While the fire linked to the Kuwaiti oil tanker attack has been put out, relevant teams continue to assess the situation and take the necessary measures, the Dubai Media Office said.
Iran-US war escalates
The latest oil tanker attack in the Gulf marks a big escalation in the ongoing war, especially at a time when global oil prices are fluctuating and energy concerns have taken over the world. US President Donald Trump earlier issued threats against Iranian infrastructure, including the Kharg Island, a strategically vital Iranian outpost in the Persian Gulf.
Trump said that the US would completely obliterate Iran’s energy infrastructure if a deal to end the ongoing West Asia conflict is not reached “shortly”. The development comes amid reports of different proposals by Iran and the US amid the ongoing war. According to the publication, Trump and his aides believe that efforts to pressurise Iran into opening the key waterway could extend the war beyond the six weeks timeline earlier specified by the US President.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump has told his aides that he is willing to stop the military campaign against Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
