The world’s most important oil transit chokepoint just became significantly more dangerous for one of the Gulf’s largest energy producers. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has reported 15 separate missile and drone attacks on its vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran-UAE conflict, a campaign that has left one person dead and 20 others injured.
The figures represent a sustained, months-long assault on commercial energy infrastructure that ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has characterized as economic terrorism in violation of international maritime law.
A timeline of escalating strikes
The conflict opened on February 28, 2026, when Iran launched its first strikes against the UAE, reportedly in retaliation for coordinated US and Israeli military actions against Iranian territory.
ADNOC’s vessels entered the target list almost immediately. On May 4, 2026, the tanker Barakah was struck by drones while transiting the region. That incident ended without crew casualties.
