Strait of Hormuz: UAE blames Iran over ADNOC ships

The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran on Friday for attacks on two vessels affiliated with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.

The UAE foreign ministry denounced what it called a “hostile Iranian attack” on the ADNOC-linked vessels and said no injuries were reported.

ADNOC said two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the waterway on Thursday evening and that the situation was brought under control, the official WAM news agency reported.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported two similar drone-strike incidents involving tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. UKMTO said military authorities reported that a tanker was struck by an uncrewed aerial vehicle while making an outbound transit of the strait. It said the vessel suffered minor damage, the crew were safe and accounted for, and no environmental impact had been reported. UKMTO used the same wording in both statements.

It was not clear whether the UKMTO incidents referred to the ADNOC-affiliated ships.

Last week, ADNOC said three of its tankers had been attacked in the strait, and the UAE foreign ministry later reported an attack on an ADNOC tanker.

Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait and wants to charge users for passage, a move the United States opposes. A June deal said Iran and Oman would discuss future arrangements for the waterway with other Gulf countries and in line with applicable international law.

Iranian security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr last week set out conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to war and aggression against Iran and its allies, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen assets and compensation for wartime damage, according to remarks reported by Tasnim news agency.