The United Arab Emirates said May 12 that four commercial ships were subjected to sabotage operations in the Gulf of Oman off the port of Fujairah. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said May 13 that two of the targeted ships were Saudi oil tankers, one of them about to pick up a load for delivery to the United States. While there were no casualties, two of the ships did suffer structural damage.
The incident comes after the United States announced it was sending an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf due to alleged threats from Iran. While the deployment was reportedly routine, the announcement by national security adviser John Bolton, as well as official US reports warning of an attack by Iran, have raised tensions to an unprecedented level under the Donald Trump administration. No UAE or Saudi official has pointed the finger at Iran. However, Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, a UAE professor and adviser to Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed, tweeted that Iranian culpability is likely given that Iranian-backed media were the first to report the incident.
Iranian reactions have been mixed. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the head of Iran’s influential foreign policy and national security commission, commented on the fragile security of Arab states in Persian Gulf, tweeting, “The explosions of Fujairah showed that security in the south of the Persian Gulf is [made of] glass.” In contrast, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi referred to the incident as “worrying and unfortunate” and called for an investigation. In an indirect reference to the United States and its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf, Mousavi warned against using the incident as an excuse for “adventurism from foreign elements” that would disrupt stability and security in the region.
Not all Iranian officials readily accepted the UAE and Saudi version of the incident. Iranian parliament member Mostafa Kavakebian said May 13 that reports of the attack on two Saudi oil tankers are “suspicious and we reject them.” It is not clear on whose behalf he was speaking.
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