ADNOC ship damaged in UAE waters as Iran reports two tankers ablaze in Hormuz

An oil vessel operated by the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was damaged in an attack inside the country’s territorial waters in the Arabian Gulf on Tuesday, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards separately reported that two oil tankers had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions over control of the strategic waterway.

ADNOC Logistics and Services confirmed that one of its vessels had sustained damage following an attack in UAE territorial waters during the afternoon, according to the state news agency WAM.

“Response efforts by the relevant teams are ongoing, and further updates will be provided as additional information becomes available,” the company said.

The company did not identify the vessel, disclose the extent of the damage or say whether any crew members had been injured. It also did not provide details about the nature of the attack.

It was not immediately clear whether the ADNOC vessel was among the two tankers that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said had been left burning in the Strait of Hormuz. No connection between the incidents had been established.

The attack in UAE waters comes amid repeated incidents involving commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has imposed restrictions on maritime traffic since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East in late February.

Iran says two tankers caught fire

Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that two oil tankers had caught fire following explosions while attempting to navigate what Tehran described as unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Two violating oil tankers, travelling along an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz, have been brought to a halt following massive explosions and are left burning,” the IRGC said in a statement.

The Guards did not identify the vessels, their flags or their operators, and provided no information about possible casualties or the condition of their crews.

According to the Iranian force, one of the vessels, described as a supertanker, struck a naval mine, causing an explosion.

“The second tanker, which was under the escort of the aggressor American military and attempting a covert passage via an illegal route, also had an incident,” the statement said.

The IRGC did not specify what happened to the second vessel or provide independent evidence for its claims about the US military escort.

Iran has made several similar announcements in recent weeks, reporting that commercial vessels caught fire after attempting to use routes it considers unauthorised. Some of the incidents have been attributed by Tehran to naval mines.

The US military, however, has recently said that mines had been cleared from the waterway. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the latest incidents reported by the IRGC.

Growing threat to commercial shipping

The incidents underline the growing risks to commercial shipping in the Gulf as Iran and the United States remain locked in a confrontation over maritime access and security.

Since the conflict began in late February, Tehran has heavily restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that vessels use routes authorised by the Islamic Republic.

The United States has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and helping commercial tankers navigate the waterway.

The strait, which connects the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. It normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets and international trade.

US Central Command said last month that it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the summer.

ADNOC has previously reported attacks on its vessels during the conflict. In an August 7 statement, the company said 15 of its vessels had been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the strait since the beginning of the war. Those incidents had resulted in one crew member’s death and injuries to 20 others, it said.

The company said at the time that it was taking measures in coordination with UAE authorities to protect its personnel, vessels and operations.

The latest attack inside UAE territorial waters raises further concerns about the safety of commercial vessels beyond the immediate approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, as the conflict continues to threaten shipping routes and energy supplies across the region.