A tanker belonging to Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company ADNOC was targeted while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, marking the second attack on a UAE vessel at the strategic waterway in just two days. No injuries were reported, and UAE officials said the situation had been contained, while urging restraint from all parties.
The incident underscores the continuing danger to commercial shipping in the strait, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes daily. The attack came just 48 hours after another ADNOC tanker was struck in the same waters, raising fears of a pattern of targeted violence against Gulf Arab energy infrastructure.
UAE Calls for De-Escalation
UAE authorities issued a statement confirming the incident and calling on all parties to the broader Middle East conflict to avoid further escalation. “We urge all stakeholders to exercise maximum restraint and respect the principle of freedom of navigation,” a senior Emirati official said, without identifying the vessel by name.
The targeting of a UAE tanker is particularly sensitive because Abu Dhabi has sought to maintain a neutral stance throughout the US-Iran war that began in February. The UAE has quietly allowed US military operations from bases on its territory while simultaneously maintaining diplomatic channels with Tehran, a balancing act that the Hormuz attacks threaten to upend.
Hormuz Remains a Flashpoint
The strait has been at the center of the conflict since Iran initially closed it to shipping in March, triggering a global energy crisis. While a partial reopening followed the June ceasefire, security remains precarious. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has asserted operational control over vessel routing through the waterway, imposing tolls and conditions that Washington has rejected.
The attacks on Gulf Arab tankers risk drawing the UAE and other Gulf states more directly into the conflict, potentially destabilizing a region that has served as the world’s primary source of petroleum exports for decades. Shipping insurance premiums for vessels transiting the strait have surged, and several major tanker operators have rerouted cargoes around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to delivery times.
Analysts warn that repeated strikes on Gulf state vessels could compel countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to seek stronger security guarantees, potentially expanding the scope of an already sprawling regional war. The incidents also complicate ongoing US-Iran diplomatic efforts, with a 60-day ceasefire set to expire on August 17.
Sources: Middle East Monitor; Yeni Safak; Reuters
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