Ships have regularly come under Iranian fire during the Middle East war, as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz – the only exit route for oil and gas exports via the Gulf sea. (EPA Images pic)DUBAI: A tanker was struck by an "unknown projectile" off Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, forcing the evacuation of its crew, a maritime monitoring agency said on Saturday.

The vessel was hit on Friday, 68 nautical miles off the coast of Jubail, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding that "all crew are reported safe".

Ships have regularly come under Iranian fire during the Middle East war, as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz – the only exit route for oil and gas exports via the Gulf sea.