A fully loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker, the Al Salmi, was struck while anchored at Dubai Port and caught fire on Monday, March 30, 2026, officials said. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said the vessel was hit in what it described as an Iranian attack, damaging the hull and raising fears of an oil spill. Dubai authorities later confirmed the blaze had been extinguished and said all 24 crew members were safe.
KPC issued the advisory early on Tuesday, March 31, warning of a possible oil spill in surrounding waters and saying work was underway to assess damage. The Dubai Media Office said maritime firefighting teams had put out the fire and that response teams were continuing to evaluate the situation and take necessary measures.
According to Lloyd’s and TankerTrackers data cited by KPC, the Al Salmi was carrying about 2 million barrels of crude loaded from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, with Lloyd’s showing the destination as Qingdao, China. Lloyd’s List Intelligence also lists KPC as the parent company of the tanker’s registered owner and commercial operator.
The incident briefly pushed Brent crude futures higher in early Asian trading, rising more than 2% to about $115.17 a barrel before easing after a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. President Donald Trump was willing to end the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. Brent was on course for a roughly 59% monthly gain in March, its largest surge on record, amid the wider Middle East conflict.
The strike on the Al Salmi is the latest in a series of attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since reported U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, the report said. Earlier on Monday, maritime security experts said the Liberian-flagged container ship Express Rome, owned by a Greek firm, reported two projectiles splashing into the water near the vessel about 22 nautical miles northeast of Ras Tanura at 13:52 GMT; the crew was safe. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously claimed an attack on the Express Rome on March 11. No group has claimed responsibility for the strike on the Al Salmi or for the projectile incidents off Ras Tanura.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/fully-loaded-kuwaiti-oil-tanker-damaged-in-iranian-strike-near-dubai-middle-east-conflict-11289174#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-31 09:03:00
