An oil tanker off the Saudi port city of Jiddah has exploded early this morning after being hit by an external source. Another vessel has reportedly come under attack amid Saudi Arabia’s lengthy war in Yemen. The attack hit the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine, which had been contracted by the trading arm of the kingdom. This marks the fourth assault on Saudi energy infrastructure in just a month. The Jiddah port was allegedly shut down following the attack.
The attack renews concerns about shipping safety in the Red Sea, which operates as a crucial transit zone for energy supplies and other materials. The BW Rhine was carrying 60k metric tons of unleaded gasoline from the Aramco refinery and was set to arrive in the kingdom. The incident appears to have occurred in the port while discharging, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Read More: ‘External source’ causes oil tanker blast off Saudi Arabia
