UAE accuses Iran of missile strike on tanker in Strait of Hormuz; talks progress
The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of launching a missile attack on a tanker owned by its state oil company in the Strait of Hormuz, even as both Iran and Oman indicated that negotiations over the waterway's administration are advancing.
In a statement on Saturday, the UAE's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a 'hostile Iranian attack' on a tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The ministry said the vessel was struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz but reported no casualties.
Later the same day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship was hit by a projectile off Oman, causing a fire that was brought under control. No casualties were reported. It was not immediately clear whether the UKMTO report referred to the same incident.
ADNOC had earlier said that since the start of the regional war, 15 of its vessels had been attacked in Hormuz, including three in the past week alone.
Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait and has said it intends to charge users for passage. It has repeatedly attacked ships it accuses of attempting to bypass its preferred route. The United States has firmly opposed any Iranian tolls on the waterway, which was previously open to free transit.
The attacks in the strait have contributed to the collapse of an April ceasefire. Mediators have urged both sides to return to the terms of a June memorandum, which allowed Tehran to negotiate the future administration of Hormuz in consultation with fellow coastal state Oman and other Gulf countries, 'in line with applicable international law'. International law generally prohibits tolling in such waterways.
Oman's foreign ministry on Saturday condemned repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, without directly naming Iran. In a separate statement, Oman said that 'ongoing negotiations regarding navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere' and urged against actions that could jeopardise progress.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said Saturday that talks with Oman were 'approaching the final stages'. However, he cautioned that this did not mean the strait would soon reopen. '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,' Araghchi said, referring to the June deal.
The Revolutionary Guards, a key component of Iran's military establishment, reinforced that position. 'The opening of the Strait of Hormuz has its own mechanism and has nothing to do with the negotiations between Iran and Oman,' a Guards statement said. 'The enemy is forced to accept Iran's conditions for the opening of the strait and to refrain from interference in the negotiations, which have almost reached their end, between Iran, Oman and other countries.'
Before US-Israeli strikes in February escalated into a regional conflict, the Strait of Hormuz carried roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The reopening of the strait remains uncertain, with diplomatic efforts continuing amid ongoing hostilities.
