A tanker was hit by a “large explosion” in the waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Thursday. The UKMTO center, run by the British military, said the attack happened off the coast of Kuwait in the northern Persian Gulf near Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Kuwait.
The vessel’s master witnessed the blast before spotting a small craft fleeing the area near the Mubarak Al-Kabeer.ย
Crew are safe
“The Master of a tanker at anchor, reports witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity,” the UKMTO stated in a social media post on X.
Maritime officials expressed concern over the environmental consequences of the subsequent leak. “There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact.ย The vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe and well. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the agency added
The UKMTO did not specify what caused the latest maritime incident, but Iran has previously used “limpet mines”โexplosive devices that divers attach magnetically to a ship’s hullโto target vessels in the region. These mines are designed to damage ships without necessarily sinking them and have been linked to several tanker attacks in past Gulf tensions.
So far, most of the recent maritime security incidents have occurred around the Strait of Hormuz and the nearby Gulf of Omanโtwo crucial shipping lanes through which a large share of the world’s oil and gas exports pass.ย
Oil prices soarย
Attacks or threats in these areas have raised concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies and commercial shipping.
Oil prices have soared following Iranian attacks on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and global stock markets have been hammered over worries that the spike in oil prices may grind down the world economy. US stocks appeared steadier at Wednesday’s opening.
The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 50 in Lebanon, and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The United Nations says 100,000 people fled the Iranian capital in the war’s first two days alone.
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