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The UAE Ministry of Defence on Tuesday said that its two national tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.
In a statement, the UAE MoD said that the attack killed one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa and injured eight others, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainians, four of whom sustained serious injuries.
“The Ministry of Defence announces that the national tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters. The attack resulted in the death of one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa tanker and the injury of eight others, including four who sustained serious injuries. The injured comprise six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals. The attack also caused material damage to both tankers as a result of the fires that broke out on board, which have since been brought under control,” the post read.
Condemning the strike as a grave violation of international law, the UAE said it reserves the right to respond and has heightened its state of readiness to safeguard its security and national interests.
UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) also condemned and denounced the attack in the strongest terms.
“The Ministry extended its sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim, as well as to the Government and people of the Republic of India, and wished all the injured a speedy recovery,” the statement read.
The Ministry emphasised that targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of “economic coercion” or “blackmail” constitutes an act of piracy and poses a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security.
“The UAE stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in order to safeguard regional security and maintain the stability of the global economy and trade,” the UAE said.
This development follows renewed hostilities between the US and Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) closed the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered American retaliatory strikes on 140 locations across Iran.
Concurrently, the United States announced that it will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting Tuesday evening.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would specifically target Iran, while allowing vessels from other nations to continue transiting through the strategic waterway.
Speaking to reporters after signing an Executive Order, Trump said the blockade would apply only to Iran and those doing business with Tehran.-ANI