Saudi Arabia reports attacks on two of its oil tankers

Saudi Arabia reported attacks on two of its oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in a sign of rising tension in the Middle East.

The Saudis said the tankers were attacked off the coast of Fujairah, one of the UAE's emirates. The vessels suffered significant damage but there were no casualties or oil spills, Khalid al-Falih, the Saudi energy minister, said.

The attacks happened soon after the UAE said four of its ships had been sabotaged, also off the coast of Fujairah, the Gulf's main tanker refuelling hub and a passage through which oil exports pass. Iran's revolutionary guards have threatened to close the route if Tehran is blocked from using it.

Brent crude rose 1.73% to $71.84 a barrel at 1110 BST, reflecting concerns that the Gulf could be affected by rising tensions between Iran and the US and its allies in the region. The US has said it will deploy an aircraft carrier to the region, heightening the stand-off between Washington and Tehran.

Iran sought to distance itself from the attacks and sabotage. The country's foreign ministry called the acts "worrisome and dreadful" and a senior lawmaker suggested "saboteurs from a third country" could have carried them out, Reuters reported.

Jeremy Hunt, the UK foreign secretary, warned against "a conflict happening by accident" between the US and Iran.