An Iranian oil tanker in the Red Sea has been hit by two suspected rockets today off the coast of Saudi Arabia and oil is leaking from the vessel. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said in a statement the hull of the ship sustained two separate explosions about 100km off the Saudi port city of Jeddah. NITC said all the ship’s crew are safe and the ship is stable too. It also added that those on board were trying to repair the damage.

The incident came amid heightened tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has not issued any statement over the incident.

Lieutenant Pete Pagano, a spokesman for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in the Middle East, said authorities there were aware of reports of this incident but he declined to comment further.

The reported attack comes after the US has alleged that in past months Iran attacked oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, something denied by Tehran.