Security Alert Level Raised at Kuwait's Oil and Commercial Ports - Report

The situation in the Middle East remains tense after Saturday’s drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. The Yemeni Houthi movement, who are fighting against Riyadh, claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the kingdom has blamed Iran for the incident.

The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Friday that the country had raised the security alert level at its ports.

"The decision emphasises that all measures have to be taken to protect the vessels and the ports facilities", the agency said, citing a statement of the trade and industry minister.

The alert level has been raised amid an escalation of tensions between neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Iran after an attack on two Saudi Aramco compounds in Abqaiq and Khurais.

In this image made from a video broadcast on the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya satellite news channel on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, a man walks through a parking lot as the smoke from a fire at the Abqaiq oil processing facility can be seen behind him in Buqyaq, Saudi Arabia. Drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked the world's largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia and another major oilfield Saturday, sparking huge fires at a vulnerable chokepoint for global energy supplies

© AP Photo / Anonymous

Following this, the country's output decreased by 5.7 million barrels of oil per day, amounting to over half the usual production. The incident resulted in a considerable spike in oil prices.

The kingdom and the US swiftly accused Tehran of organising the attack, claiming that the strike was carried out by Iranian-made drones and cruise missiles; however, the Islamic Republic has firmly denied the allegations.

In the meantime, Saudi forces and Bahrain have decided to join the US-led maritime coalition patrolling the region.