The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accused Iran of launching an attack on a tanker owned by its state oil company as the vessel traveled through the crucial maritime passage of the Strait of Hormuz. This accusation comes amid discussions by Iran and Oman aimed at shaping the management of this strategic waterway.
Iran has effectively blockaded the strait, seeking to impose fees for passage. The country has consistently targeted ships it believes are avoiding its designated routes.
The United States stands firmly against any Iranian-imposed tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, an agreement reached in June between conflicting parties permits Iran to devise plans for the “future administration” of the Strait alongside Oman, another nation bordering the waterway.
Ongoing attacks in this strait contributed to the breakdown of an earlier ceasefire initiated in April. Mediators have persistently encouraged both parties to recommit to the stipulations outlined in the June memorandum to prevent further escalation.
On Sunday, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry strongly criticized Iran, labeling the incident a “hostile Iranian attack.” It cited a missile strike on an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) tanker traversing the Strait of Hormuz, while affirming that the attack resulted in no casualties.
Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship was hit by a projectile off Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that was extinguished but no casualties. It was unclear whether they were referring to the same ship.
On Saturday, ADNOC had put out a statement saying that since the start of the war, 15 of its vessels had been attacked in Hormuz, “including three vessels this week alone”.
Oman’s foreign ministry on Saturday condemned “repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz”, without naming Iran.
It also said that “ongoing negotiations regarding navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere”, and urged against any actions that might jeopardise the progress.
The previous Iran-US deal — meant to serve as a jumping-off point for negotiations on a permanent settlement — had said Iran and Oman would hash out future arrangements for the strait in discussion with other Gulf countries and “in line with the applicable international law”.
International law generally forbids tolling in such waterways.
Reopening uncertain
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with Oman were “approaching the final stages”, but cautioned that “this is not a sign of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”.
“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is subject to other conditions and compensation for the violation of the memorandum of understanding by the United States,” he said, referencing the June deal.
Iranian security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr on Saturday laid out a laundry list of preconditions for reopening the strait, including an end to the “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq”.
He also demanded the lifting of a parallel US naval blockade of Iran, the end of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and compensation for wartime damage, according to remarks reported by Tasnim news agency.
The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Iranian military, underscored the point, saying Hormuz’s reopening had “nothing to do with the negotiations between Iran and Oman”, adding that the “enemy is forced to accept Iran’s conditions for the opening of the strait”.
Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that US Admiral Brad Cooper — head of US Central Command, which leads Middle East operations — paid quick visits to Gulf allies the UAE and Bahrain, as well as Israel.
Cooper reportedly met with Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, Kan said, describing the visit as a “multi-front situation assessment”.