On Tuesday, a ship operated by ADNOC Logistics & Services was hit in an attack while in UAE territorial waters. This incident is part of a worrying trend of attacks on commercial ships in the region, which grew with another reported strike against a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.
ADNOC Logistics & Services confirmed that their vessel was damaged in the Persian Gulf on November 10 in the afternoon.
In a statement published by the UAE's WAM news agency, the company said that response efforts were ongoing but did not disclose the ship's name, the level of damage, or if any crew members were hurt.
They promised to provide more updates as soon as more information becomes available.
This announcement coincided with news from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) about a tanker being hit by an unknown projectile about 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, close to the vital Strait of Hormuz.
According to UKMTO Warning 201-26, this incident took place at 1338 UTC on November 10. The ship’s captain confirmed that all crew members were safe and that there was no environmental damage. A damage assessment was scheduled for daylight.
UKMTO did not reveal the name of the struck tanker or the source of the projectile.
It remains unclear if the ADNOC incident and the one reported by UKMTO are related or if they are separate events.
These incidents follow a series of attacks on vessels in the area around Oman’s side of the Strait of Hormuz, where ships have recently faced projectile strikes and other aggressive actions.
On November 7, a tanker caught fire about eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman, which required the crew to evacuate. Initially, UKMTO classified the incident based on military information but later redefined it as an attack.
Another tanker traveling out through the Strait of Hormuz was reportedly hit by an unknown projectile on the same day, but the crew was safe and there was no environmental impact.
These events come as maritime security officials continue to warn about an exceptionally risky environment in and around the strait.
In its advisory on November 8, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) kept the threat level for the Strait of Hormuz at SEVERE, indicating that more deliberate attacks were highly likely.
JMIC noted five attacks off Oman’s Musandam coast from November 1 to November 5, followed by more incidents on November 7.
The center recorded a total of 177 maritime security incidents in the wider region since March 1. This number includes suspicious activities and military enforcement actions, not just attacks against commercial ships.
Commercial traffic through this critical waterway is still significantly below normal levels.
According to JMIC, daily ship transits have dropped to single digits or low double digits, compared to a usual average of about 138 vessels per day in 2025.
Meanwhile, U.S. naval shipping data recorded 91 U.S.-facilitated transits between November 5 and 7, averaging around 30 per day. These figures use different reporting systems and are not directly comparable.
Due to the disruptions, many ships are waiting outside the waterway. JMIC estimated that about 162 vessels were anchored near Fujairah and Khor Fakkan as of November 8, with more near Sohar and Musandam.
The center warned that ongoing attacks, Iranian surveillance of commercial shipping, and U.S. naval blockade enforcement would likely keep shipping operators cautious and significantly reduce traffic.
The attacks reported on Tuesday increase worries regarding the safety of merchant ships and their crews in one of the world’s most crucial energy shipping corridors, as repeated security issues complicate commercial transit, despite efforts to facilitate movements.