DUBAI, July 14 (Reuters) – One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured when two Emirati oil tankers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence. This incident marks another escalation in the strategic waterway.
The shipping company of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC L&S, later confirmed that the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahyah were struck while passing through Hormuz and suffered "significant damage."
ADNOC has been actively involved in a U.S. military-led operation to transport Gulf crude to international buyers using ship-to-ship (STS) transfers beyond the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command stated on July 12 that it had helped facilitate the passage of over 800 vessels and more than 400 million barrels of crude oil through the strait in the last two months.
According to the UAE defense ministry, the tankers were attacked in the southern lane of the strait while in Omani territorial waters. The deceased crew member was on board the Mombasa.
Out of the eight injured, four suffered serious injuries. The wounded included six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals, as reported by the ministry.
The attacks caused significant damage to both tankers, with fires breaking out onboard. The ministry confirmed that the fires have been brought under control.
In response, the ministry condemned the incident as a "blatant attack" and stated that the UAE has "the full right to respond to this escalation."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that two "offending" supertankers were hit and disabled in the Strait of Hormuz after they ignored repeated warnings, turned off their navigation systems, and tried to pass through an area they described as mined.
The IRGC did not provide the names of the vessels or confirm whether these were the same tankers referenced by the UAE Ministry of Defence.
The Guards accused the U.S. of encouraging vessels to take an "illegal route" and warned that cooperation with what they called the "aggressor enemy" would lead to further damage, delays in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and a global energy crisis.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while traveling 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Qalhat.
The UKMTO noted that the tanker’s captain reported that the projectile hit the starboard-side engine room, but all crew members were safe.
Reuters was unable to confirm if the UKMTO incident was related to the attack on the tankers mentioned by the UAE Ministry of Defence.
These recent events follow weeks of rising tensions since the outbreak of conflict on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran.
On Monday, the U.S. military carried out its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran as President Donald Trump reinstated a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee for guarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s top military command has stated that the U.S. has no authority over the future of the waterway and will not be permitted to intervene.
The conflict has caused instability in the Gulf and affected the broader region, with Iran attacking U.S. bases across multiple countries. This situation raises questions about a recent interim U.S.-Iranian agreement aimed at reopening the strait and halting hostilities.
Before the conflict began in February, nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas traffic passed through Hormuz daily, delivering over 15 million barrels of fuel to global markets valued at approximately $1.2 billion.