Approximately 57 kilometers from Dubai, in the waters of the United Arab Emirates, an incident occurred involving the Kuwaiti tanker Al-Salmi. On the night of March 31, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a fire resulting from a projectile hitting the vessel's side. According to the state agency KUNA, the crew was safe, and no significant environmental damage was recorded.
According to data provided by the authorities in Dubai, the fire was successfully extinguished. It was clarified that at the time of the attack, the tanker was fully loaded with oil and was anchored. The maximum carrying capacity of the vessel is nearly 320,000 tons. It was noted that the strike was carried out using a drone, which caused damage to the hull and created a risk of an oil spill.
On the same night, another incident occurred in Dubai: debris from a downed missile fell on an abandoned house in the Al-Bada area, resulting in four people sustaining minor injuries, according to reports from city authorities.
Some countries also reported missile attacks that same evening. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense confirmed that they were repelling "hostile drone attacks." In Bahrain, residents heard sirens warning of a threat. The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported that eight ballistic missiles aimed at the country were successfully destroyed. UKMTO also recorded two projectiles falling near a container ship, 40 kilometers from the port of Ras Tanura.
Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been conducting airstrikes against Iran, resulting in the elimination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking officials. In response, Iran has begun attacking Israel and Gulf states using missiles and drones, claiming that the targets of these attacks are American military bases in the region. Oil storage facilities and tankers in several Gulf countries are also under fire.
