Two Abu Dhabi state-owned oil tankers were struck by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening. The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for the attacks, labeling them acts of piracy, while Tehran laid down sweeping demands to Washington for reopening the critical waterway.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that the vessels suffered minor damage during the incident, though the UAE Foreign Ministry confirmed no injuries were recorded as the situation was brought under control.
ADNOC confirmed that two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz
on Thursday evening and said the situation was brought under control,
while the UAE and ADNOC did not disclose identities of the tankers or their cargoes.
The corridor connects the Persian Gulf to open oceans, making it a vital choke point for global energy supplies.
United Arab Emirates Condemns Iran and Blames Revolutionary Guard
The UAE Foreign Ministry blamed the attacks on Iran, characterizing the targeting of commercial shipping as a flagrant violation of United Nations principles on freedom of navigation.
Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,
Foreign Ministry, United Arab Emirates
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the attack constituted a flagrant violation
of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, and it framed Targeting commercial navigation and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail
as acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Regional condemnation quickly widened across the Persian Gulf. The secretary-general of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, strongly condemned the assault, calling the repeated attacks an unacceptable escalation and a serious violation of international law. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt also issued separate statements affirming their solidarity with Abu Dhabi.
Tehran Sets Sweeping Conditions for Reopening the Waterway
As diplomatic tensions flared over the tanker attacks, Iran laid out sweeping demands to the United States for reopening the vital shipping lane. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that normal transit through the strait would require Washington to lift its naval blockade and economic sanctions, withdraw military forces from the region, pay war reparations, and release frozen Iranian assets.
Those demands arrive as a 60-day period agreed upon in an interim June deal approaches its expiration. Meanwhile, ship traffic through the corridor dropped 33% on Friday compared to the previous day, with most remaining commercial vessels navigating along Iranian-controlled coastal routes.
Iranian state media also circulated a draft parliamentary plan that would formally ban U.S. and Israeli vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while excluding other nations that have harmed Iran until financial compensation is paid.
Parallel Negotiations With Oman and Energy Market Pressures
While hardline conditions emerged from Tehran, separate diplomatic tracks advanced elsewhere. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that Iran and Oman were close to reaching an agreement on defining specific transit routes through the strait, which would see inbound traffic pass through Iranian waters and outbound traffic route through Omani waters.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance addressed the ongoing maritime security discussions in an interview, noting that Gulf neighbors are actively organizing traffic schemes and demining efforts.
We don’t trust. We verify,
JD Vance, U.S. Vice President
The prolonged disruption has heavily impacted global commodities. Brent crude futures gained more than 1% to close at $83.55 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate advanced about 1% to settle at $78.18 per barrel, even as weekly prices closed down more than 7% overall amid shifting expectations of a negotiated settlement.
