The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of launching a hostile attack on a tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) using missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday (8/8) condemned the incident, stating that the attack caused no loss of life.
On the same day, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel had been struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. UKMTO said the incident triggered a fire that was subsequently extinguished and there were no reports of casualties, although it remained unclear whether the vessel was the ADNOC tanker cited by the UAE.
ADNOC previously stated that 15 of its ships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, with three vessels coming under attack in just the past week. Iran is known to have imposed an effective blockade on the strategic corridor and has repeatedly attacked ships accused of deviating from designated routes.
The ship attack comes as Tehran and Oman discuss management of the Strait of Hormuz, with warring parties reporting progress in talks. A series of earlier vessel attacks caused a ceasefire to collapse in April, and mediators have since urged both sides to re-implement provisions of a June agreement.
