UAE Accuses Iran of Attacking ADNOC Ship in Hormuz Strait

The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of carrying out another attack on a commercial vessel affiliated with Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company, ADNOC, in the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident, announced on Saturday, is the latest in a series of attacks reported in the strategic waterway, which serves as a crucial passage for global energy shipments amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

The UAE Foreign Ministry described the incident as a “hostile Iranian attack that targeted a vessel affiliated with ADNOC”, referring to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

It accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of using the waterway to exert pressure on commercial shipping, saying that “targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps”.

ADNOC had earlier confirmed that one of its vessels was attacked while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz on the evening of Friday, August 14, WAM reported. The company said there were no reported injuries.

ADNOC also emphasised the importance of protecting crew members and maintaining freedom of navigation and maritime security.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the latest incident would not prevent the country from defending its interests and freedom of movement through the waterway.

“The repeated targeting of ADNOC tankers will not deter the UAE from pursuing a balanced and prudent policy based on the three pillars of deterrence, diplomacy, and adherence to international law,” Gargash said in a post on X.

He added that the UAE would work to promote a united Gulf position in response to the crisis.

“We will exert every effort to strengthen a unified Gulf position, as it is a fundamental pillar for protecting the security of the region and the interests of its member states in this ongoing crisis.”

The latest development followed the UAE’s accusation a day earlier that Iran had attacked two vessels linked to ADNOC as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported in that incident.

ADNOC also reported last week that three of its tankers had been attacked in the waterway. A day later, the UAE foreign ministry separately announced another attack involving an ADNOC tanker.

The escalation has raised further concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy supplies that had remained open to shipping before the conflict in the Middle East began.

The continued attacks in the waterway contributed to the collapse of an April ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Under a June agreement intended to pave the way for negotiations on a permanent settlement, Iran and Oman were expected to discuss future arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz with other Gulf states, “in line with the applicable international law”.

Meanwhile, Iranian official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr last week outlined conditions for reopening the waterway fully. They included an end to what he described as the war against Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of sanctions and compensation for damage caused during the conflict.

Africans Angle News