Iran Attacks Two Emirati Tankers Off Oman, Killing One Crewmember
The UAE's defense ministry says that two tankers connected to its oil industry were attacked by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz - the latest targets in Tehran's campaign to wrest control of all shipping through the waterway.
According to the UAE Ministry of Defense, the tanker "Mombasa" (likely the VLCC Mombasa B, IMO 9739501) and "Bahia" (likely the VLCC Al Bahyah, IMO 9937799, but also reported as the similarly-named LNG carrier Al Bahiya) were each hit by an Iranian cruise missile while transiting the southern Strait of Hormuz route through Omani waters. Eight crewmembers aboard the ships were injured, including four who sustained serious injuries. One of Mombasa B's crewmembers, an Indian national, was killed in the attack.
Fires broke out on both vessels following the strikes, but the blazes have been successfully brought under control, the ministry said.
"The Ministry of Defense condemns this brazen attack, which constitutes a serious violation and a clear breach of international law," the ministry said. "The state reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territories, people, and residents."
Following Iran's renewed hostilities with the United States and the reimposition of the U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping, Tehran has declared the closure of the strait to all traffic. The Omani route - which has U.S. overwatch, and is where the two Emirati tankers were operating - has been in Iran's crosshairs, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps views its existence as a direct challenge to Iranian control of the strait.
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The UAE has been one of the biggest and best-publicized users of the Omani lane, operating tankers as shuttles to move oil out of the Arabian Gulf to an anchorage off Khor Fakkan, in the Gulf of Oman. At this location, the oil is transferred onto other ships for onward shipment to the final destination. Mombasa B and Al Bahyah were both engaged in this trade in June and early July, but have been operating dark since last week, according to their AIS records.
Top image: Mombasa B, 2024 (VesselFinder / Rush2112)
