The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority reported, early Friday morning, that a tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after a small boat approached it and installed two explosive devices on its hull, according to what was reported by the German News Agency.
The authority said, citing a verified report, that the accident occurred on Thursday when explosions led to a fire in the engine room, causing the ship to lose its ability to maneuver for a short period.
The authority added that the crew members are fine, and no environmental damage has been reported, noting that the fire has been extinguished and that the tanker is currently heading towards a port.
The party carrying out the attack was not immediately revealed.
It is noteworthy that Iran has recently intensified its attacks on ships, especially along a southern shipping lane supported by the US Navy.
Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Minister of Defense, discussed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte aspects of military and defense cooperation.
During a phone call, the two sides discussed joint coordination regarding current developments in the region. In a way that supports regional and international security and stability. Prince Khaled bin Salman and Rutte also touched on a number of issues of common interest.
On the other hand, during telephone calls with his Canadian counterparts David McGinty, German Boris Pistorius, and Spanish Margarita Robles, the Saudi Defense Minister discussed developments in the region in light of the condemned Houthi attacks on the Kingdom.
During the communications, coordination of efforts between Saudi Arabia and each of the three countries towards regional developments, and ways to enhance joint action to support the security and stability of the region, were reviewed. Prince Khalid bin Salman discussed with McGinty, Pistorius, and Robles aspects of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and their countries in the military and defense field, and opportunities for developing them.
In addition, the Saudi Minister of Defense offered his condolences to his Canadian counterpart on the death of a number of military service members as a result of the fire at a military base in Alberta, expressing his wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia officially began implementing the implementation system and its executive regulations, to contribute to enhancing governance and institutional maturity, and accelerating procedures for enforcing financial rights.
The Minister of Justice, Dr. Walid Al-Samaani, confirmed that the system represents an important step in developing the rights enforcement system, in light of the support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the continuous support and follow-up of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. To develop the justice facility and enhance its efficiency.
Al-Samaani explained that the system enhances the reliability and stability of transactions, and establishes balanced responsibility between the creditor and the debtor, based on the fact that the financial obligation is a relationship between two financial liabilities, in which implementation is directed to money.
He stated that the system develops tools for disclosing, tracking, and implementing funds, while preserving the parties’ guarantees and taking into account the humanitarian and social conditions of the debtor and his family, in addition to regulating the implementation of alimony, custody, and visitation provisions.
The minister pointed out that the system supports preventive justice by clarifying obligations, organizing executive bonds, and enhancing their reliability, and contributes to enhancing governance, institutional maturity, and accelerating implementation procedures.
He added that this comes within the Ministry's direction towards developing the beneficiary experience, enhancing integration between forensic work, and benefiting from data and modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to raise the efficiency of performance and quality of outputs.
Al-Samaani pointed out that this development comes to achieve the aspirations of the leadership towards a more efficient and mature justice system that preserves rights, achieves the interests of the nation and humanity, and contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Minister of Justice recently approved a regulation that includes 54 articles regulating implementation procedures, durations and controls, in a way that enhances the efficiency of fulfilling rights and maintains the guarantees established for the creditor and debtor.
The regulations specify the procedures for implementing the provisions of alimony, custody, and visitation, the conditions for registering promissory notes and promissory notes on approved electronic platforms, and the orders and decisions that may be appealed against.
