DUBAI: Two oil tankers were attacked and left adrift on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, driving up oil prices and stoking fears of a new confrontation between Iran and the United States.

The White House said US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the issue, after Washington accused Tehran of being behind a similar incident on May 12 when four tankers were attacked in the same area, a vital oil shipping route.

Russia was quick to urge caution, saying no one should rush to conclusions about Thursday’s incident or use it to put pressure on Tehran, which has denied the US accusations.

There were no immediate statements apportioning blame after Thursday’s incidents, nor any claims of responsibility.

The crew of the Norwegian-owned Front Altair abandoned ship in waters between Gulf Arab states and Iran after a blast that a source said might have been from a magnetic mine. The ship was ablaze, sending a huge plume of smoke into the air.

The crew were picked up by a passing ship and handed to an Iranian rescue boat.

The second ship, a Japanese-owned tanker, was hit by a suspected torpedo, the firm that chartered the ship said. Its crew were also picked up safely.

The Bahrain-based US Navy Fifth Fleet said it had assisted the two tankers after receiving distress calls.

Crude prices climbed four per cent after the attacks near entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping artery for Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, and other Gulf energy producers.

“We need to remember that some 30% of the world’s (seaborne) crude oil passes through the straits. If the waters are becoming unsafe, the supply to the entire Western world could be at risk,” said Paolo dAmico, chairman of INTERTANKO tanker association.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Thursday’s incidents as “suspicious” on Twitter, noting they occurred during Japanese prime minister’s Tehran visit. The minister called for regional dialogue.

Britain said it was “deeply concerned” about the attacks. Germany, which like Britain remains a signatory to a nuclear pact with Iran, said the “situation is dangerous” and all sides needed to avoid an escalation.

The Arab League said some parties were “trying to instigate fires in the region”, without naming a particular party.

Oman and the United Arab Emirates, which have coastlines on the Gulf of Oman, did not immediately issue any public comment.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have a long-running rivalry with Iran, have previously said attacks on oil assets in the Gulf pose a risk to global oil supplies and regional security.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement said the Japanese tanker Kokuka Courageous was damaged in a “suspected attack” that breached the hull above the water line while transporting methanol from Saudi Arabia to Singapore.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019