DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2019) Several powerful explosions hit on Sunday the UAE port of Fujairah following a huge fire that engulfed at least seven oil tankers, local media reported. The blasts were heard between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. local time (00:00 - 03:00 GMT), the Al-Mayadeen broadcaster reported, adding that from seven to 10 oiltankers were in flames. The sources told the broadcaster that causes of the incident remained unknown. Eyewitnesses reportedly saw several French and US military planes flying over the port.<doc-sep>Local media reports, citing eyewitnesses, suggested that American and French warplanes have been seen flying over the port at the time of the incident, Sputnik reported. The real cause of the incident is still unknown. The reports further said that the explosions occurred after at least seven oil tankers had been caught on fire. Currently, there's no information on possible casualties and the authorities haven't commented on the incident yet. The government of Fujairah later on Sunday denied the reports by the Lebanon-Based Media about the explosions taking place at the emirate's port, insisting that the port is functioning as usual.<doc-sep>Saudi Arabia claims "sabotage attacks" left two of its oil tankers damaged off the coast of the UAE, not far from the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping channel. Nobody is casting blame yet, but it comes just days after the U.S. warned that "Iran or its proxies" could target commercial vessels in the region. Britain says the incident highlights the danger of "a conflict happening by accident" between the U.S. and Iran. Mike Pompeo was meeting European leaders as they try to keep the nuclear deal viable months after President Trump abandoned it. A U.S. defense official told CBS News that a team of U.S. investigators was on their way to the UAE to help look into the incidents. Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels. One of the ships was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States, a Saudi government minister said. The announcement by the kingdom's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came on the heels of a new warning to sailors in the region from the U.S. While no blame was cast at Iran or any other nation for the alleged attack on the ships, it fuelled fears that a miscommunication or small act of antagonism in the politically charged region could quickly escalate into a full conflict. Late last week the U.S. Maritime Administration warned commercial shipping companies that from the beginning of May there had been, "an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf." The statement from the Saudi government on the alleged "sabotage attacks" off the United Arab Emirates port at Fujairah came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the port, which sits less than 100 miles from the mouth of the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping channel. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. A U.S. defense official told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that the UAE had requested American assistance investigating the incidents, and the U.S. was sending a team of investigators to help. A total of four tankers sustained some damage on Sunday, according to UAE officials. One of the others was Norwegian owned, but officials in that country did not immediately confirm any links to the apparent attacks on the Saudi-flagged vessels. Early Sunday, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing "the incident has not been confirmed." It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. agency is the same perceived threat, or part of it, that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. "One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States," al-Falih said. "Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels." Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Iran calls for details Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the Saudi tankers. The ministry' spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident. Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security. An Iranian lawmaker suggested in the country's parliament on Monday that the attacks on the Saudi ships could have been carried out by unspecified "saboteurs" from an also unspecified third country. Fears of an escalation Even without any actual accusation that Iran or its "proxies" were behind the purported attack on the Saudi tankers, the incident clearly demonstrated how high tensions are in the region, and some other countries were quick to express their concern. Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned of the risks of an "accident" sparking a conflict between the United States and Iran. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended," Hunt said in Brussels, where U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived to discuss the Iran standoff with European counterparts. "What we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking," Hunt said, adding that would share those concerns Monday with his European partners and Pompeo. Underlying the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a "serious escalation" in an overnight statement. "Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. Tensions have risen in the year since President Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Europe clings to the nuke deal The Brussels meeting on Monday was intended for the European leaders to thrash out ways to keep the Iran nuclear deal afloat. The meeting between the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini comes as the Europeans struggle to keep financial supply lines open to Iran to offset the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic's shattered economy. "We in Europe agree that this treaty is necessary for our security," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels. "Nobody wants Iran to get possession of an atomic bomb and that's been achieved so far." Mogherini said the talks would focus on "how to continue to best support the full implementation of the nuclear deal." The White House has put mounting pressure on its European allies to abandon the nuclear deal, which was hammered out by former President Barack Obama, saying it intends to bring Iran's petroleum product income to "zero." Pompeo's State Department billed Monday's talks with European officials in Brussels as an opportunity "to discuss recent threatening actions and statements" by Iran. Germany's Maas said he told Pompeo on Monday that he and his European counterparts "do not want it to come to a military conflict (between the U.S. and Iran)." The top German diplomat avoided criticizing the Trump administration, saying Europe and Washington both wanted to ensure peace in the Middle East, but admitting that they were "going about it in different ways... taking different courses."<doc-sep>
DUBAI (Reuters) - Four commercial vessels were targeted by “sabotage operations” near the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates without causing casualties, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, without giving details of the nature of the sabotage. The incident occurred near the UAE emirate of Fujairah, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs which lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry said in a statement. Trading and industry sources said operations at Fujairah port ran smoothly on Sunday. The strait, a vital global oil and gas shipping route, separates the Gulf states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over U.S. sanctions and the U.S. military’s regional presence. “Subjecting commercial vessels to sabotage operations and threatening the lives of their crew is considered a dangerous development,” according to the statement that was carried by state news agency WAM. The statement, which did not identify the vessels beyond saying they were of various nationalities, said the incident did not result in spills. The UAE did not blame any country or other party for the operation. Regional tensions have increased, with Washington saying it was sending a U.S. aircraft carrier and other forces to the Middle East due to what it said were Iranian threats, while Tehran has called the U.S. military presence “a target” rather than a threat. The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet told Reuters it was aware of the UAE report but referred queries to the UAE authorities. SECURITY MEASURES A senior Iranian lawmaker and head of parliament’s national security committee, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, said on Sunday that reports of “explosions” near Fujairah port showed the security of Gulf states was fragile. The government of Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE and which has a coastline on the Gulf of Oman, denied in a tweet media reports about blasts inside Fujairah port and said the facility was operating normally. Fujairah’s statement did not identify media outlets that had published reports about any blasts but Iran’s Press TV website cited a Lebanese broadcaster, Mayadeen, saying seven oil tankers had been attacked in the port. The UAE ministry statement, which denied any incident had taken place inside the port, said the government had taken all necessary measures and launched an investigation in coordination with international authorities. “The international community should carry out its responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to harm maritime security and safety, which would be considered a threat to international safety and security,” it added. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up pressure on Iran with sanctions since Washington withdrew a year ago from a 2015 international nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Washington tightened sanctions on Iran this month, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy its oil, saying it wanted to cut Tehran’s crude exports to zero. Iran has said it will not let its oil exports by halted. The UAE’s Gulf Arab ally Bahrain described the Fujairah incident as “a dangerous criminal act”.