Iran Drone Strike Sets Oil Tanker Ablaze Off Dubai, Raises Spill Concerns

Last Updated:March 31, 2026, 07:09 IST

Dubai authorities said they were responding to a suspected drone strike on a Kuwaiti tanker in local waters

Iran attacked a fully loaded crude oil tanker anchored off Dubai on Monday (March 30), setting the vessel ablaze and damaging its hull, Kuwait’s state news agency reported, citing Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC), which warned of a potential oil spill, according to a Bloomberg report.

Dubai authorities said they were responding to a suspected drone strike on a Kuwaiti tanker in local waters, with maritime firefighting teams deployed to contain the blaze. No injuries have been reported, and all 24 crew members are safe.

KPC said an assessment is underway to determine the extent of damage to the tanker, identified as Al-Salmi. Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows KPC is the parent company of the vessel’s registered owner and commercial operator.

The attack marks the latest in a series of strikes on merchant vessels in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.

Global oil markets reacted sharply. US crude futures rose more than $3, or 2.9 per cent, to $105.91 per barrel, following news of the incident, Bloomberg reported.

Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment.

In a separate development earlier in the day, a Greek-owned container ship near Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura reported two incidents of projectiles striking the water close to the vessel, maritime security experts said.

A representative of the Liberian-flagged Express Rome said two unidentified projectiles landed in the water about 40.7 km northeast of Ras Tanura at 1:52 pm GMT. The incidents occurred within an hour of each other, and the crew was reported safe, according to British maritime risk-management firm Vanguard.

Vanguard said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier claimed responsibility for an attack on the same vessel on March 11. The ship’s operator did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the tanker strike near Dubai or the projectile incidents off Saudi Arabia.

News world Iran Drone Strike Sets Oil Tanker Ablaze Off Dubai, Raises Spill Concerns

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