Blast-hit tankers to be assessed off UAE coast
The two oil tankers crippled in attacks in the Gulf of Oman last week are being assessed off the coast off the United Arab Emirates before their cargos are unloaded, the ships' operators say.
Damage assessment on Japan's Kokuka Courageous and preparation for ship-to-ship transfer of its methanol cargo would start after authorities in Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates, complete security checks, says Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement.
Thursday's attacks, which also hit Norwegian tanker Front Altair, have heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and its Gulf allies after similar blasts in May struck four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE.
