Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Iranian-owned oil tanker Sabiti had been attacked in the Red Sea on Friday and was damaged, state TV reported. 

"Those behind the attack are responsible for the consequences of this dangerous adventure, including the dangerous environmental pollution caused," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state TV. 

Oil was leaking from the tanker into the waters of the Red Sea, he said. 

According to ship tracking service TankerTrackers, the Sabiti is fully laden with one million barrels and has declared the Gulf as its destination.

Earlier, the owner of the tanker, the National Iranian Tanker Company, said the hull of the Sabiti was hit by two separate explosions about 100 kilometers off the Saudi port of Jeddah, adding they were "probably caused by missile strikes."  

"All the ship's crew are safe and the ship is stable too," it said. 

The company added the ship is slowly moving back towards the Gulf.  

Pictures published by Iranian state TV showed the ship's deck without any outward signs of damage.  

Oil prices surged more than two percent on the news, which raised fresh concerns about Middle East supply with tensions still high after last month's attacks on Saudi facilities onshore.  

In those attacks, two of Saudi Arabia's biggest oil installations were hit, wiping out five percent of global production. Washington blamed the attacks on Teheran, something it has strongly denied. 

(With input from Reuters, AFP)