UAE accuses Iran of attacking two ADNOC vessels in Strait of Hormuz

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) said two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, August 13, with no injuries reported, as the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of carrying out the assault.

The incident was the second involving ADNOC-linked vessels in less than a week. On Saturday, the UAE condemned what it described as an Iranian attack on a vessel linked to the state oil company as it passed through the strait.

ADNOC said the situation had been brought under control, according to the UAE state news agency WAM.

The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a "hostile Iranian attack" on the two ADNOC vessels. It said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had committed "acts of piracy" by targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic pressure or blackmail, posing a direct threat to regional stability and global energy security.

Neither WAM nor the Foreign Ministry provided details about the vessels, their cargoes or the extent of any damage. No injuries were reported.

Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran. Since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, shipping through the strait has been repeatedly disrupted, driving up freight rates and intensifying security concerns.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have previously threatened to take action against vessels transiting the strait if they are linked to Tehran's adversaries or fail to comply with Iranian directives.

ADNOC said on Friday that it had been significantly affected by what it described as unprovoked attacks on its personnel and assets, while continuing to meet customer requirements in an "exceptionally challenging environment."

ADNOC, the UAE's state-owned oil company, is one of the world's largest energy producers, exporting crude oil, natural gas and refined products to markets around the world.

By Tamilla Hasanova