DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Saudi Arabia said on Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in attacks that caused “significant damage” to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the United States.

The announcement by the kingdom’s Energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE’s regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah.