The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of piracy after two ADNOC-owned oil tankers were struck by drones in the Strait of Hormuz on August 13, 2026. While the attacks caused minor damage and no casualties, they triggered widespread condemnation from Arab nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The UAE has demanded that Iran halt these unprovoked hostilities and unconditionally reopen the strategic waterway to safeguard global energy security.
Strait of Hormuz drone attacks
- ▪The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that two vessels suffered minor damage from drone attacks while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on August 13, 2026.
- ▪The drone attacks on the two ADNOC tankers caused minor damage to the vessels but resulted in no casualties or injuries.
- ▪Two commercial oil tankers owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC were attacked by drones on the evening of August 13, 2026, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
UAE attribution to Iran
- ▪The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry blamed Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the drone attacks on the two ADNOC tankers.
- ▪Iran did not issue an immediate response or comment regarding the United Arab Emirates' accusations of responsibility for the drone attacks.
- ▪The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry characterized the drone attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as acts of piracy, economic coercion, and blackmail.
Freedom of navigation violations
- ▪The United Arab Emirates demanded that Iran halt its unprovoked attacks, commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities, and unconditionally reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- ▪The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry stated that the drone attacks on the ADNOC tankers were a flagrant violation of the United Nations' principles of freedom of navigation.
Arab nations condemn attacks
- ▪Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council issued statements condemning the drone attacks on the ADNOC tankers.
- ▪The Saudi Foreign Ministry denounced the recurrence of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to maritime safety.
Global energy security threats
- ▪The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry stated that using the Strait of Hormuz for economic coercion constitutes a direct threat to regional stability and global energy security.
- ▪ADNOC reported that a total of 15 of its vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran in February 2026.
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