The United Arab Emirates strongly condemned alleged attacks on two tankers associated with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as they transited the Strait of Hormuz.
The incidents, which were reported on 13 August, concerned two commercial tankers that were said to have been hit by uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) while traveling outbound thru the strategically important waterway.
There were no injuries, said the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government described the attacks as hostile acts, and blamed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for what it called acts of piracy against commercial vessels.
Two tankers were reportedly struck
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received information from military authorities that two tankers had been hit by UAVs while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Both incidents were reported around 15:52 UTC on August 13.
Vanguard Tach, a maritime security company, said the vessels were the Singapore-flagged product tanker Navig8 Messi and the Liberian-flagged Aframax Tarif.
The Navig8 Messi is owned by Navig8, while the Tarif is owned directly by ADNOC L&S. Navig8 is a company that is majority owned by ADNOC L&S.
Rising risks for Gulf shipping
The reported incidents come amid rising security concerns over commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime energy corridors.
Any blockage in the waterway could have grave implications for tanker operations, energy supply chains and freight markets, particularly because of the volumes of oil and petroleum products that pass thru the region.
The recent attacks underscore the growing risks for ships operating in and around the Gulf as regional tensions continue to impact maritime traffic.
