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The United Arab Emirates said two oil tankers were hit and a seafarer died while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the most significant attack on commercial shipping in the waterway since an interim peace between the US and Iran deal all-but fell apart last week.The UAE’s defence ministry said two ships were targeted by Iranian cruise missiles. Adnoc L&S said in a subsequent statement that the Al Bahyah and Mombasa B were hit by projectiles and suffered significant damage while in Hormuz. It added that one member of crew was killed and several others were injured.The attacks are significant for the oil market because they feature two of the entities that have played a key role in moving non-Iranian barrels through Hormuz since the war began: the UAE, whose production and exports surged last month, and tanker owner Sinokor Group, a key mover of the nation’s cargoes. Adnoc’s statement said that the Sinokor ship was on hire under a time-charter arrangement.Even before the interim peace deal between the US and Iran, which has largely fallen apart over the last few days, millions of barrels a day of emirati crude were making their way out of Hormuz by sailing dark through the waterway. The attacks on ships and loss of a seafarer will raise questions about whether the UAE will be able to continue shipping in such large volumes. “The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents, in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security, and stability, and protects its national interests,” the country’s ministry of defence said in a post on X. Sinokor vessels have been pivotal in moving non-Iranian oil out of the Persian Gulf. It’s at least the second time since the interim peace pact was signed that one of its vessels has come under attack in Hormuz.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comPublished on July 14, 2026
