Tanker attacked in Persian Gulf

Attacks on two ships have been reported off the Saudi coast - far from the Strait of Hormuz. There, in turn, a supertanker has run on a mine, according to Iranian information. Again and again there are attacks on tankers and other ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Now, hundreds of kilometres away in the Persian Gulf, attacks on tankers have been reported. In two separate reports, the British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) reported incidents not far from the coast of Saudi Arabia. A ship was hit by an unknown projectile. A later release said another tanker had been attacked by a small ship with a rocket launcher. Who carried out the attacks not far from the coast of Saudi Arabia, is still unclear. Observers do not rule out that the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis perpetrated them. Supertanker is said to have driven on mine Previously, the numerous attacks on ships were limited to the Strait of Hormuz. From there, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reported last night that a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz had gone to a sea mine. There was an explosion and a fire on board the huge ship, Iranian media reported. According to the media, the tanker was loaded with more than two million barrels (barrels per 159 liters) of crude oil. The ship tried to pass the strait illegally with deception maneuvers and with the support of the US military. Attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz have increased in recent days. A few days ago, a container ship sank in the straits after an attack. Iran claims control of the strategically and economically important strait of Hormuz at the outlet of the Persian Gulf. Since the start of the attacks by the US and Israel at the end of February, Iranian forces have been regularly attacking ships that Tehran claims are sailing without permission. With information from Christian Buttkereit, ARD Istanbul