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ADNOC ships attacked
A vessel belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, the company said Saturday, with the company confirming that no injuries have been reported.
“A vessel belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening”
The statement came a day after the UAE accused Iran of attacking two vessels linked to ADNOC as they passed through the strait, and the UAE foreign ministry condemned the "hostile Iranian attack."
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack violated UN Security Council Resolution 2817 concerning freedom of navigation and called on Iran to stop its aggressive attacks and ensure the complete, unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
ADNOC confirmed the two ships were attacked and urged protection of the mariners and assurance of maritime security, while authorities said the situation was brought under control.
Competing claims and reactions
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had strongly condemned and denounced the hostile Iranian attack that targeted two vessels affiliated with ADNOC as they transited the Strait of Hormuz, adding that no injuries were reported.
The UAE Foreign Ministry also accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being behind the attack and described it as an act of piracy, framing the targeting of commercial navigation and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of pressure or economic coercion as a direct threat to regional stability and global energy security.
Iran did not immediately comment on the attack or the UAE’s claims, and the Al Jazeera account said Iran is continuing to uphold an effective blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and wants to charge users for passage.
In a separate incident described by UKMTO, a vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage to the engine room and resulting in a crew casualty, with the Omani coastguard assisting the remaining crew.
Trade embargo and wider stakes
The United Arab Emirates imposed an indefinite trade embargo on Iran after accusing Iranian forces of firing two ballistic missiles at the country, with the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the decision was made in "light of escalations that undermine peace and security in the region."
“All trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice”
The UAE said its air defences detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, with one falling outside the country’s territorial waters and the other landing within them, and the ministry said the missiles were "targeting maritime traffic".
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the accusation as "baseless," with spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei suggesting it was a "false flag operation" amid the war launched by the United States and Israel against his country.
Al Jazeera reported that Mark Kimmitt, a retired US general and former assistant secretary of state, said the UAE’s trade embargo could hit Iran harder than anything Washington has imposed, and the UAE’s statement said: "All trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice."
