Emirati foreign ministry labels strikes ‘acts of piracy’ by Revolutionary Guards and calls for full, unconditional reopening of vital waterway as tensions persist.
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned what it described as a hostile Iranian attack on two vessels affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as they transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Friday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strikes targeted the commercial ships while they were passing through the strategic waterway. No injuries were reported, and ADNOC confirmed that the situation had been brought under control.
UAE Condemns Iranian Attacks on ADNOC Vessels:
“The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned and denounced the hostile Iranian attack that targeted two vessels affiliated with ADNOC as they transited the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said.
The Emirati authorities characterised the incident as a flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms freedom of navigation and rejects the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
Officials further accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of engaging in “acts of piracy” by targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail. Such actions, the ministry warned, constitute a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security.
The UAE called on Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks immediately, commit fully to a cessation of hostilities, and ensure the complete and unconditional reopening of the strait in order to safeguard regional security and the stability of the global economy and trade.
ADNOC, the UAE’s state-owned energy giant, confirmed the attacks on its vessels but provided no further details on the type of weapons used, the extent of any damage, or the cargoes involved.
The incident marks the second such attack on ADNOC-linked vessels in less than a week. On Saturday, the UAE condemned a missile strike on another ADNOC tanker in the same waterway, also reporting no injuries.
ADNOC Vessels Face Rising Strait of Hormuz Attacks:
According to company statements earlier this month, at least 15 ADNOC vessels have been targeted by missiles or drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the wider conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran in late February. Those earlier attacks left one crew member dead and about 20 others injured.
Iran has not immediately commented on the latest accusations or the specific claims regarding the two vessels. Tehran has maintained an effective blockade of the strait in recent months and has linked any full reopening to broader political and security conditions, including demands related to previous military actions and economic measures against it.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman, previously carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas. Repeated disruptions, attacks on commercial shipping, and competing claims over control of the waterway have driven up insurance and freight costs, complicated energy exports from Gulf producers, and heightened concerns about global supply security.
For the UAE, which relies heavily on oil revenues and has sought to maintain export flows despite the insecurity, the continued targeting of its vessels underscores the risks facing commercial shipping and seafarers operating in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Regional governments have previously issued statements of solidarity with Abu Dhabi following similar incidents.
As diplomatic efforts to stabilise the situation remain stalled, the latest attacks add another layer of tension to an already volatile confrontation that continues to affect regional stability and international energy markets.