Inferno in the Gulf, explosions rock two tankers off Iran

A fireball erupted on the MT Front Altair after a suspected torpedo attack caused three explosions, forcing the crew to abandon ship.   

Sailors on the Kokuka Courageous also had to flee after a pair of blasts today which have left the Middle East on high alert.   

Both the Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous were evacuated after sending distress signals.   

Warning that the Gulf’s waters are ‘becoming unsafe’, tanker industry chief Paolo d’Amico said that ‘the oil supply to the entire Western world could be at risk’ - as 30 per cent of the world’s crude oil passes through the area.   

Today a U.S. official national security official told CBS News that it was ‘highly likely Iran caused these attacks’. Russia had earlier warned against hastily blaming Iran for the explosions.   

Tehran said it was suspicious over the attacks which came as Japanese leader Shinzo Abe met Iran’s Supreme Leader today in an effort to defuse the crisis. Iranian news agency IRNA claimed that the ship had sunk, but its Norwegian owner Frontline insisted it was still afloat.   

 Iran said its search and rescue teams had picked up the 44 sailors from the two ships and taken them to the port of Jask.   
Gulf of Oman, (Daily Mail), 
13 June 2019