By Benoit Faucon and Summer Said 
 

A tanker was reported to be on fire near the United Arab Emirates due to unknown causes, the United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations said Wednesday, after Yemen rebels claimed a string of attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

Last week, Saudi Arabia's air defense forces intercepted missiles aimed at Saudi Aramco (2222.SA) oil facilities, kingdom officials said Wednesday, after Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen said they had targeted the world's most valuable company and other sites in Saudi Arabia.

The Emirati coastguard is now assisting the vessel, Emirati and European officials said. They added it was unclear what had triggered the fire--which was spotted by a nearby vessel around 1600 local time as the tanker was anchored.

Tensions have escalated in the Middle East. Earlier this month, the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in Iraq, to which Tehran retaliated with strikes on U.S. forces there. Producers in the region fear they could be caught in a broader conflict after Saudi oil facilities were attacked by missiles and drones in September and tankers were struck this Summer in the Persian Gulf. Washington and Riyadh have accused Iran of being behind those attacks, which Tehran has denied.

Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com at Summer Said at summer.said@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 29, 2020 12:34 ET (17:34 GMT)