| Part of 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis and the Second Cold War | |
 Satellite image of the strategic Strait of Hormuz | |
| Date | May 12, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Oman |
| Coordinates | 25°10′18″N 56°22′38″E / 25.17167°N 56.37722°E |
| Type | Limpet mine attack |
| Target | Merchant ships flagged in: |
| Property damage | 4 merchant ships damaged[1] |
| Suspects |  Iran (alleged by the United States, and supported by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Kingdom; denied by Iran) |
On 12 May 2019, four commercial ships were damaged off Fujairah's coast in the Gulf of Oman. The ships included two Saudi Arabian registered oil tankers, a Norwegian registered oil tanker, and an Emirati registered bunkering ship. The ships were anchored on the United Arab Emirates territorial waters for bunkering in Port of Fujairah.[1][2][3] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates reported that the ships had been subject to a "sabotage attack".[3][4] The United Arab Emirates launched a joint investigation probe with United States and France.[5] The initial investigation assessment determined that 5-to-10-foot (1.5 to 3.0 m) holes near or below all the ships' waterlines were probably caused by explosive charges.[6]
The incident occurred amid increasing tension between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf region, leading U.S. officials to suspect Iran of being behind the attack. The United Arab Emirates government did not accuse any perpetrators, stating that the report of the investigation probe must first be finalized.[7] The government of Iran called for an international investigation of the incident, describing it as a possible false flag operation.[1][2][8] The United States accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being "directly responsible" for the attacks.[9] The findings of an Emirati-led international investigation into the attacks has stated that a sophisticated and coordinated operation by divers from fast boats utilized limpet mines to breach the hull of the ships, concluding that a "state actor" is the most likely culprit.[10][11] A similar incident took place a month later on 13 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Oil tankers 'sabotaged' amid tensions". May 13, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ a b El Gamal, Rania; Sharafedin, Bozorgmehr (May 13, 2019). "Saudi oil tankers among those attacked off UAE amid Iran tensions". Reuters. reuters.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Sly, Liz (May 13, 2019). "Two Saudi oil tankers, Norwegian ship apparently attacked near the Persian Gulf amid rising Iran tensions". washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Gambrell, Jon (May 12, 2019). "UAE says 4 ships targeted by 'sabotage' off its east coast". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ Al Shouk, Ali (May 16, 2019). "Gargash: Probe into sabotage of ships near Fujairah coast will be complete in days". Gulf News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ Chamberlain, Samuel (May 13, 2019). "First assessment blames Iran for Middle East ship explosions, official says". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ Haines-Young, James (May 15, 2019). "UAE's Anwar Gargash urges restraint in the region during 'a very brittle situation'". The National. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Alexander; Werner, Kennett (May 14, 2019). "Ship sabotage mystery raises fears of accidental conflict with Iran". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ "Iran directly behind tanker attacks off UAE coast, US says". Gulf news. May 25, 2019.
- ^ Roth, Richard (June 7, 2019). "Initial findings on Gulf tanker attacks point to a 'state actor' but Iran not mentioned by name". CNN.
- ^ Karam, Joyce (June 7, 2019). "'State actor' likely to blame in Fujairah tanker attacks, report says". The National.