Several ships were hit by suspected Iranian missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and a UAE oil complex was set on fire following the launch of Project Freedom by US military.
The US Central Command said its forces blew up six Iranian boats on Monday after Tehran launched “multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats” at American Navy ships and commercial vessels.
The US bid to free up shipping on the chokepoint sparked renewed hostilities since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago.
Earlier, US-flagged vessels successfully passed through the strait, the military said, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected the statement as “baseless,” according to state media.
Meanwhile, the UAE said two drones had targeted a national carrier affiliated with ADNOC as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, with no injuries reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also said a tanker has reported being hit by projectiles seven nautical miles north of Fujairah in the UAE.
All crew were safe, and “no environmental impact” was reported, the UKMTO said.
The UKMTO also said a cargo vessel reported a fire in its engine room while 36 nautical miles north of Dubai. All crew were “safe and accounted for,” it said.
In a separate report, UKMTO said it had received third-party information that a vessel was on fire 14 nautical miles west of Mina Saqr, also in the UAE, and asked nearby ships to keep a safe distance.
The UAE and several Gulf countries have condemned Iran's renewed attacks and the targeting of an ADNOC vessel.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) underscored that this attack constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolution 2817, which affirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, and rejected the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
The Ministry emphasised that 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, and constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security.
The UAE further stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in order to safeguard regional security, and maintain the stability of the global economy and trade.
