Iran’s Foreign Ministry is calling for clarification about what happened with two Saudi oil tankers that the kingdom says were targeted in a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said two of the ships were Saudi oil tankers that sustained “significant damage” in Sunday’s attack near the UAE emirate of Fujairah.

On Monday, Iran foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi expressed concern about the explosions and said there should be more information about what exactly happened.

He said the security of shipping and maritime transport in the region was of paramount importance, The Associated Press reported.

The state-run IRNA news agency also quoted Mr Mousavi as cautioning against any “conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers” and “adventurism by foreigners” to undermine the region’s stability and security.

The ships were among four commercial vessels sabotaged on Sunday.

Fujairah is one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs and lies just outside the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a vital oil and natural gas corridor for the global energy market.

The UAE’s foreign minister gave no details of what form the sabotage took, but said there were no injuries or deaths.

“Subjecting commercial vessels to sabotage operations and threatening the lives of their crew is considered a dangerous development,” said the ministry statement tweeted by state news agency WAM on Sunday.

It did not identify the vessels, beyond saying they were of various nationalities. It said the incident did not result in spills.

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia's energy minister says 2 Saudi oil tankers hit in "sabotage attack" off UAE coast have "significant damage"

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 13, 2019

However, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said two of his nation’s tankers were targeted.

One tanker was on its way to the kingdom to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to send to the US.

“Fortunately, the attack didn’t lead to any casualties or oil spill,” he said. “However, it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.”

The Associated Press reported on Monday that the US had issued a new alert to maritime traffic after the sabotage, amid heightened regional tensions between American and Iran.

In recent days the US has sent additional warships to the region.

The UAE foreign ministry called the attempted sabotage a “dangerous development” and called on the global community to “prevent such actions” in future.

Earlier on Sunday, the government of the UAE emirate of Fujairah denied media reports of blasts at its port.

The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said it was aware of the report when contacted by Reuters but referred queries to the UAE authorities.

The statement did not identify the media outlets that published the reports of blasts. But the Iranian Press TV website cited a Lebanese broadcaster, Mayadeen, saying seven oil tankers were attacked in the port.

The UAE statement also denied any incident had taken place inside the port. It said the UAE had taken all necessary measures and launched an investigation in coordination with international authorities.

“The international community should carry out its responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to harm maritime security and safety, which would be considered a threat to international safety and security,” it said.

-with AAP