A Kuwaiti-owned oil tanker was struck by a drone attack while anchored off Dubai on Monday night, sparking a fire that was extinguished by early Tuesday. The vessel, Al Salmi, owned by Kuwait's state oil company, was fully loaded with crude oil when it was hit, but authorities confirmed no oil leak and no injuries among the 24 crew members.
The attack, attributed to Iran, occurred amid escalating tensions in the region following US warnings to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Witnesses on nearby tankers reported seeing the explosion and hearing radio communications from the stricken vessel. 'Our officers on the bridge saw the explosion happen at around midnight,' a crew member on a nearby tanker told The Guardian. 'The fire was still ongoing hours later.'
Dozens of other tankers have since left the area to avoid further attacks. 'There are more Kuwaiti oil tankers around here, with crews that are definitely not involved in this,' the seafarer said. 'But there's no safe place here, not really.'
The attack came hours after US President Donald Trump warned of obliterating Iran's energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. Crude oil prices briefly spiked following the incident, with Brent crude surging above $118 a barrel. The market rose to its highest level since the crisis began, amid reports that Trump was willing to end the war even if the strait remained closed.
Maritime firefighting teams extinguished the blaze and are assessing the situation. The Salmi's destination was listed as Qingdao, China. Crew members remain on board, with no word from their employer about evacuation or relief plans.
