UAE condemns reported drone strike on ADNOC-linked vessel in Strait of Hormuz

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates on Monday denounced what it described as an Iranian drone attack on commercial vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) while they were passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that emphasise freedom of navigation and ban attacks on commercial shipping or the disruption of international maritime routes.

The ministry said two drones were used in the attack. ADNOC’s maritime energy logistics unit said the vessel, Barakah, was empty when it was hit by the two drones. No injuries were reported.

The UAE further stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,

the foreign ministry said.

The ministry also said that targeting commercial vessels and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of pressure or economic coercion amounted to acts of piracy by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and represented a direct threat to regional stability and global energy security.

The UAE urged Iran to stop such actions, end hostilities, and ensure the full and unconditional reopening of the strait in order to protect regional security and the stability of global trade.

Shipping security concerns

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency had earlier said that a tanker reported being struck by unknown projectiles about 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah in the UAE.

ADNOC, which is state-owned, is among the world’s largest oil and gas producers and is described as the main driver of the UAE’s economic growth.

Iran has blocked entry to and exit from the Gulf for most non-Iranian ships since the United States and Israel began attacking it on February 28. It has also threatened to target unauthorised vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that carries around one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.

The development comes amid heightened tensions around the strategic maritime corridor, which is considered one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

No injuries were reported in the incident involving the Barakah, according to the information released by ADNOC’s maritime energy logistics unit and the UAE authorities.