The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said that Iran targeted two of its national tankers with cruise missiles while they were transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, killing one Indian crew member and injuring a total of eight others.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck while sailing through Omani territorial waters.
According to the ministry, one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa was killed in the attack. Eight others were injured, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals. Of the injured, four sustained serious injuries.
The strike also caused fires and material damage to both vessels. Authorities said the fires have since been brought under control.
UAE Condemns Attack
The UAE condemned the strike as a “grave violation” of international law and said it reserves the right to respond while raising its state of military readiness to safeguard national security and interests.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned the attack and extended condolences to the family of the deceased Indian crew member, as well as to the Government and people of India. It also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
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UAE Calls For Reopening Of Strait Of Hormuz
The UAE said attacks on commercial shipping and the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of “economic coercion” or “blackmail” amount to piracy and threaten regional stability and global energy security.
It called on Iran to immediately halt attacks, cease hostilities and ensure the complete reopening of the strategic waterway.
The incident comes amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which prompted US retaliatory strikes.
The United States has also announced that it will resume a naval blockade targeting maritime traffic linked to Iran, while allowing vessels from other countries to continue transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
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