Tanker Hit By ‘Large Explosion’ Off Kuwait, Oil Spill Reported

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 08:17 IST

Kuwait’s interior ministry said the explosion occurred "outside Kuwaiti territorial waters", at least 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

A tanker was struck by a “large explosion" in waters off Kuwait, leading to an oil spill, Britain’s maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday, as the US-Iran-Israel conflict continued to disrupt shipping in the Gulf.

Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had “complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a key gateway into the Gulf and one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.

“The Master of a tanker at anchor, reports witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity" near Kuwait’s Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, UKMTO said in a post on X.

“There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact".

Kuwait’s interior ministry said the explosion occurred “outside Kuwaiti territorial waters", at least 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

Chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping, which runs one of the world’s largest oil tanker fleets, said it was suspending services to and from Gulf countries, including Kuwait, starting Wednesday.

(With inputs from AFP)

News world Tanker Hit By ‘Large Explosion’ Off Kuwait, Oil Spill Reported

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