Explosion on Iranian oil tanker near Saudi port of Jeddah
An explosion on an Iranian oil tanker has once again brought the issue of attacks on oil tankers to the media. The tanker belonged to the National Iranian Oil Company. It is said that the tanker exploded near the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The news of an explosion on an Iranian oil tanker in the Red Sea was published by the media of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This news was then reflected in the media of other countries.
On Friday, October 11, the Iranian student news agency ISNA reported an explosion on an Iranian oil tanker.
The tanker, which is said to belong to the National Iranian Oil Company, exploded early Friday morning. The hull of the tanker was severely damaged as a result of the explosion.
The report states that the Iranian tanker exploded in the Red Sea, 60 miles from the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Oil flow into the Red Sea
ISNA news agency reported that the tanker's two main oil tanks were damaged, causing the oil cargo to enter the Red Sea.
The cause of the explosion on the Iranian tanker has not yet been announced. Given the location of the explosion (60 miles from the port of Jeddah), Iranian media have reported the possibility of a "terrorist act."
The aforementioned news agency continued with a short news report about the explosion:
"Technical experts on board the vessel are investigating the cause of the explosion and believe it was likely a terrorist act."
The explosion on the Iranian tanker could once again revive the issue of ensuring shipping security in the region's waters. The attack on tankers near the port of Fujairah and the seizure of the British tanker Stena Impero had raised the issue of ensuring the security of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.
In this regard, the United States has launched a naval fleet in the waters of the region. Several countries, including Britain, Australia, and Bahrain, have also expressed their readiness to cooperate with the American naval fleet.
The online section of the British newspaper "Mirror" has published news of an explosion on an Iranian tanker, stating that, according to information published by the Maritime Monitoring website, the explosion on the tanker occurred southwest of the port of Jeddah.
Source: DW
