In this Oct 11, 2019 file photo, seagulls fly in front of the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (AMR NABIL / AP)
A ship was hit by an explosion at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, as attacks in the Red Sea mount.
An “explosive-laden” boat struck a fuel tanker early on Monday morning in what was a “terrorist attack,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a spokesperson at the Ministry of Energy. There were no casualties and no disruptions to oil or fuel supplies, SPA said.
The incident came just three weeks after an oil tanker was damaged, possibly by a mine, at the Saudi terminal of Shuqaiq and Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on a Saudi Aramco fuel depot in Jeddah.
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Tanker BW Rhine, which carries refined products, was struck by an external source while discharging at Jeddah at about 12:40 am local time on Monday, according to a statement from its owner, Hafnia
While the damage appeared small, the incident again raised questions about the region’s stability and helped push Brent crude above US$50 a barrel. Tensions have risen as the US, a Saudi ally, ramps up sanctions on Iran, which backs the Houthis in Yemen’s civil war.
No group or country claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack.
“These acts of terrorism and vandalism, directed against vital installations, go beyond the kingdom and its vital facilities, to the security and stability of energy supplies to the world,” SPA said.
Tanker BW Rhine, which carries refined products, was struck by an external source while discharging at Jeddah at about 12:40 am local time on Monday, according to a statement from its owner, Hafnia. The Singapore-flagged vessel immediately ceased all discharge operations and the fire was extinguished without any injuries to the 22 crew members, it said.
“It is possible that some oil has escaped from the vessel,” reads the statement. “But this has not been confirmed and instrumentation currently indicates that oil levels on board are at the same level as before the incident.”
Aramco’s trading unit had chartered the ship, which loaded gasoline at the Saudi port of Yanbu on Dec 8 before sailing south to Jeddah, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-biggest city, is about 595 kilometers from the Yemeni border.
“It’s an isolated incident and therefore we don’t need any significant change in mentality or activity,” Kevin Wright, an analyst at data intelligence firm Kpler, said in an interview with Dubai-based consultant Gulf Intelligence. “We will continue to see these pinpricks but they have limited impact.”
READ MORE: Saudi Aramco says no one hurt in Jeddah missile strike
A spokesman for the Saudi Ports Authority didn’t immediately respond to messages requesting comment. Iranian, Yemeni and Houthi officials haven’t commented on the attack.
The incident comes less than three weeks after an oil tanker was damaged in a possible attack at the Saudi terminal of Shuqaiq, south of Jeddah
Brent crude rose 0.3 percent to US$50.14 a barrel by 2:43 pm in London, paring earlier gains of as much as 1.7 percent.
The attack was probably “intended to cause panic throughout the international shipping community and in turn impact Saudi commercial interests,” said Munro Anderson, a partner at maritime-security firm Dryad Global.
Houthi mines
The Houthis have previously used mines to attack ships in Saudi Arabian waters. They have been fighting Yemen’s United Nations-backed government since 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened a year later on the side of the government.
The Shi'ite group claimed attacks on Aramco’s Abqaiq oil-processing plant and Khurais field in September 2019. Armed drones temporarily knocked out about half of Saudi Arabia’s oil-production capacity and briefly caused crude prices to soar.
The UN concluded those missiles probably came from Iran.
