DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. has issued a new alert to maritime traffic over alleged “acts of sabotage” of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between American and Iran.

The U.S. Maritime Administration, which stressing the incidents had not been confirmed, warned shippers early Monday to exercise caution when traveling past Fujairah, a port city on the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman.

It gave coordinates of the alleged sabotage, putting it just north of Fujairah.

The UAE on Sunday said the sabotage targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the nearby Emirati port in Fujairah, which bunkers and ships oil. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Latest on alleged sabotage of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (all times local):

Iran’s Foreign Ministry is calling for clarification about what happened with two Saudi oil tankers that the kingdom said were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Monday expressed concerns over the explosions that affected the oil tankers and said there should be more information about what exactly happened.

He says the security of shipping and maritime transport in the region is of paramount importance.

The state-run IRNA news agency also quoted Mousavi on Monday as cautioning against any “conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers” and “adventurism by foreigners” to undermine the region’s stability and security.

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister says two Saudi oil tankers were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and sustained “significant damage.”

Khalid Al-Falih made the comments in a statement carried early Monday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

He said the two tankers were targeted off the coast of Fujairah.

He said one tanker was en route to the kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the United States.

He did not identify the tankers.

He said: “Fortunately, the attack didn’t lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.”

The UAE on Sunday said an alleged sabotage attack targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects.

The U.S. has issued a new alert to maritime traffic over alleged “acts of sabotage” of ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between American and Iran.

The U.S. Maritime Administration, which stressing the incidents had not been confirmed, warned shippers early Monday to exercise caution when travelling past Fujairah, a port city on the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman.

It gave co-ordinates of the alleged sabotage, putting it just north of Fujairah.

The UAE on Sunday said the sabotage targeted four boats, without elaborating or naming suspects. It came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the nearby Emirati port in Fujairah, which bunkers and ships oil. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. issued a new warning early Monday to sailors over alleged “acts of sabotage” targeting ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between America and Iran. The UAE’s regional allies meanwhile condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of the four ships off the coast of Fujairah, which came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city’s port.

Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reported incident comes as the U.S. has warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran’s economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a “serious escalation” in an overnight statement.

“Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,” Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen’s internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE’s Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating “in co-operation with local and international bodies.” It said there were “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.”

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting “Gulf sources,” falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah’s port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated.

Fujairah’s port is about 140 kilometres (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Sunday’s incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic.

“Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz,” the warning read. “Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf.” Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing “the incident has not been confirmed.” It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to say date is Monday. </s> Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states dived on Monday as regional tensions soared after ships and oil tankers were targeted by acts of "sabotage" off the UAE coast.

The Saudi bourse, the largest in the region, was down 2.7 percent after the kingdom's energy minister said two Saudi oil tankers were damaged in a "sabotage attack" off the coast of Fujairah on the Arabian Sea.

The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that four commercial vessels from various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage just outside its territorial waters near Fujairah.

The attacks did not result in any casualties but they caused damage to the vessels.

The UAE bourses of Dubai and Abu Dhabi dropped by 3.7 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively on Monday.

Qatar shares were down 2.1 percent and Kuwait Bourse was 1.2 percent lower while the small bourses of Oman and Bahrain were down 0.16 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

The incidents came amid rising tensions in a region already shaken by a standoff between the United States and Iran.

Tehran called for an investigation into the "alarming" attacks and warned of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meanwhile scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head Brussels to discuss Iran with European officials. </s> The United Arab Emirates has said that four commercial ships were yesterday sabotaged in the Persian Gulf.

No injuries or deaths were caused by the breach and no fuel was spilled, according to the country's foreign ministry which has so far stopped short of accusing someone for the incident.

In recent weeks, the stretch of water off the Oman coast has become a flashpoint in heightened tensions between the United States and Iran that have threatened to boil over since President Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions which have crippled the Iranian economy.

And the alleged sabotage of the merchant ships comes as aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers are deployed to bolster the American Navy's grip on the region.

In an escalation of the cold war being fought by the White House and Tehran, the US also warned ships in the region that they risk attack from 'Iran or its proxies'.

The statement from the UAE's Foreign Ministry pinpointed the supposedly sabotaged ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which controls the waters, did not immediately offer comment on the incident.

Hours before yesterday's sabotage, Lebanon's pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting 'Gulf sources,' falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck the strategically located Fujairah's port.

State media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved in the incident.

But subsequent investigations have since found the report about explosions at the port to be untrue.

These false reports came after the warning put out by the US government alerting sea traffic to the perceived threat posed by Iranian ships.

The warning read: 'Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz.

'Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf.' </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.K. maritime safety group warned Thursday of an unspecified incident in the Gulf of Oman and urged "extreme caution" amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and a high-stakes visit by the Japanese prime minister to Iran.

Iranian media claimed — without offering any evidence — that there had been an explosion in the area targeting oil tankers.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy, put out the alert but did not elaborate on the incident. It said it was investigating.

Cmdr. Joshua Frey, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said his command was "aware" of a reported incident in the area. He declined to elaborate.

"We are working on getting details," Frey told The Associated Press.

Iranian state television's website, citing the pro-Iran Lebanese satellite news channel Al-Mayadeen, said two oil tankers had been targeted in the Gulf of Oman. It offered no evidence to support the claim.

Emirati officials declined to immediately comment. The coordinates offered for the incident by the U.K. group put it some 45 kilometers (25 miles) off the Iranian coastline.

The maritime alert comes after what the United States has described as Iranian attacks on four oil tankers nearby, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Iran has denied being involved.

Those apparent attacks occurred off the Emirati port of Fujairah, also on the Gulf of Oman, approaching the critical Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil traded by sea passes.

The timing was especially sensitive as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was visiting Iran on a high-stakes diplomacy mission. On Wednesday, after talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Abe warned that any "accidental conflict" that could be sparked amid the heightened U.S.-Iran tensions must be avoided.

His message came just hours after Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi airport, wounding 26 people.

Abe was to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday, the second and final day of his visit.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a top government spokesman, told reporters that Abe's trip was intended to help de-escalate tensions in the Mideast — but not specifically mediate between Tehran and Washington.

His remarks were apparently meant to downplay and lower expectations amid uncertain prospects for Abe's mission.

Tensions have escalated in the Mideast as Iran appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord that the Trump administration pulled out of last year.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels.

One of the ships was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States.

The announcement by the kingdom's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came as the U.S. issued a new warning to sailors.

Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible.

However, the reports come as the U.S. has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations last week denied that Tehran had given a green light to its proxies to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East, accusing U.S. officials of employing "fake intelligence."

Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal.

In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday.

"One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States," al-Falih said. "Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels."

Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage.

A statement Sunday from the UAE's Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating "in cooperation with local and international bodies." It said there were "no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels" and "no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel."

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing.

Fujairah's port is about 85 miles south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa.

Sunday's incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic.

"Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz," the warning read. "Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf." </s> The United Arab Emirates has said that four commercial ships off its eastern coast “were subjected to sabotage operations,” just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at a nearby Emirati port.

Emirati officials declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible.

However, the reported incident comes as the US has warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region.

The incident happened as America deploys an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran.

Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran’s economy into crisis.

Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal.

The statement from the UAE’s Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah.

It said it was investigating the incident “in co-operation with local and international bodies”. It said there were “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel”.

Earlier on Sunday, Lebanon’s pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting “Gulf sources,” falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah’s port.

State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the reports, citing Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved in the incident.

The Associated Press, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the reports about an explosion at the port to be unsubstantiated.

The reported sabotage incident comes after the US Maritime Administration warned last week that Iran could target commercial sea traffic.

“Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz,” the warning read.

“Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or US military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf.” </s> FUJAIRAH (United Arab Emirates): Saudi Arabia on Monday said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States.

The announcement by the kingdom's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage on Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah.

The statement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port. Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible.

The US has warned ships that "Iran or its proxies" could be targeting maritime traffic in the region. America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran.

Shortly after the Saudi announcement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called for further clarification about what exactly happened with the Saudi tankers. The ministry' spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying there should be more information about the incident.

Mousavi also warned against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers" and "adventurism by foreigners" to undermine the maritime region's stability and security.

Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran's economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal.

In his statement, al-Falih said the attacks on the two tankers happened at 6 a.m. Sunday.

"One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States," al-Falih said. "Fortunately, the attack didn't lead to any casualties or oil spill; however, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels."

Saudi Arabia did not identify the vessels involved, nor did it say whom it suspected of carrying out the alleged sabotage.

The kingdom's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident in a statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Monday as a "criminal act" that threatens the "safety of maritime traffic, which reflects negatively on regional and international peace and security."

Al-Falih also said the attack aimed to undermine the "security of oil supplies to consumers all over the world" and emphasized the "joint responsibility of the international community to protect" the safety of maritime navigation and oil tankers.

Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the incident as a "serious escalation."

"Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger," Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen's internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage.
The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) issues a new alert to all ships passing Fujairah, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman over "acts of sabotage" amid heightened regional tensions between the United States and Iran.