Iran Strait of Hormuz Attack: ADNOC Vessel Targeted by Missile, No Casualties Reported
Iranian armed forces hit an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. vessel with a missile in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday, but there were no casualties, ADNOC confirmed. The UAE Government has condemned the attack and has requested the reopening of the waterway due to the continued disruption of commercial shipping.
The incident with the vessel has been under control, but ADNOC did not immediately disclose any additional information about the ship or damage it might have suffered. The company did not give a public name for the attacker in the statement it made in reports of the attack.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident an Iranian attack on an ADNOC tanker and said that it “was a violation of international law. The ministry also requested a ban on all attacks on commercial shipping and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
ADNOC Reports 15 Earlier Vessel Attacks
The most recent attack comes after ADNOC disclosed it had targeted 15 of its vessels since the war began. The attacks consisted of missiles and drones, and there were three attacks in the week before Friday, said the company in its statement.
ADNOC reported 20 injuries and one crew member killed in the attacks. These are company statements and should be treated as such, unless independently verified.
The incident was previously reported following a July 14 attack in the Strait of Hormuz’s waters on two ADNOC Logistics & Services vessels, Al Bahyah and Mombasa B, resulting in the death of one crew member. One seafarer was killed and multiple others injured, with both vessels suffering from serious damage, ADNOC L&S said.
The July 14 attack was also reported by Reuters, which said the UAE Ministry of Defense identified Iranian cruise missiles as the weapons used in that incident. Reuters reported that one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded.
ADNOC L&S said after the July attack that it was working with emergency responders and other relevant stakeholders.
UAE Cites UN Security Council Resolution
The UAE has attributed the latest attack to UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which was adopted on March 11, and which condemned attacks by Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan.
The resolution also condemned attacks and threats on merchant and commercial vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz and expressed concern about their impact on maritime security, international trade and global energy supplies. It received a unanimous vote of 13-0-2.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also issued a separate appeal for navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that it has been “disrupted and has had an impact on energy security, food supplies and trade” around the world.
Shipping Through Hormuz Remains Restricted
The latest strike follows a week of vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz being far below pre-war levels.
Reuters reported Aug. 5 that eight vessels, five tankers and three bulk carriers, transited the strait that day, compared with roughly 130 to 140 daily transits before the conflict began Feb. 28. Ship-tracking data showed that the route remained operational for some vessels despite the sharply reduced traffic.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and a vital trade route in the oil and gas industry. It is one of the most critical maritime chokepoints in the world, under normal conditions, with about one-fifth of the world’s oil traffic and 1/5 of the world’s LNG traffic transiting it.
The ongoing attacks on business vessels have thus exacerbated the already prevailing concerns about energy supplies, shipping fares and the safety of crew members working in the area.
The UAE is currently calling for the immediate reopening of the waterway, and shipping activity is still far short of normal levels, and the security situation remains a limiting factor for commercial transport.
