“The Kuwaiti giant crude oil tanker was subjected to a direct and malicious Iranian attack while in the anchorage area of Dubai Port in the UAE,” official news agency KUNA reported, citing Kuwait’s state-owned oil company.

There were no injuries, according to the report, and Dubai authorities later said firefighters had extinguished the blaze.

KUNA reported the tanker was fully laden at the time of the attack, which had caused “material damage to the ship’s hull” and “the possibility of an oil spill in the surrounding waters.”

Kuwait’s military also said on Tuesday its air defences were responding to “hostile missile and drone attacks”, according to an X post.

The oil-rich Gulf has borne the brunt of Iran’s attacks in response to US-Israeli strikes that sparked the Middle East war late last month.

Tehran has threatened to target vital infrastructure across the Gulf, including energy sites.