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Repeated attacks on Adnoc vessels 'will not deter' UAE, top diplomat asserts
Since the beginning of the regional war on February 28, a total of 18 Adnoc vessels have been attacked — with three attacks taking place in just the last week
- PUBLISHED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 2:55 PM
In under a week, UAE-based Adnoc's tanker vessels were attacked for a third time late Friday, the gas giant confirmed.
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the President, issued a statement, highlighting that these repeated attacks on tankers will not deter the spirit of the nation or how it moves.
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Since the beginning of the regional war on February 28, a total of 18 Adnoc vessels have been attacked.
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"Repeated targeting of Adnoc company tankers will not deter the United Arab Emirates from moving forward with a balanced and rational policy, based on the triad of deterrence, diplomacy, and adherence to international law," Gargash highlighted.
The UAE has also repeatedly reiterated the nation's right to freedom of navigation, stressing that the use of the Strait of Hormuz "as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps".
Gargash echoed this sentiment, saying that the nation will safeguard its rights to "freedom of navigation and the use of the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law".
We will make every effort to strengthen a unified Gulf position, as it is a fundamental pillar for protecting the region's security and the interests of its countries in this ongoing crisis.
Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser To Uae President
The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also in a statement, stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate end of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard regional security and maintain the stability of the global economy and trade.
Strait of Hormuz blockade
Iran has maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war in the region on February 28, blocking the passage of ships carrying energy exports from countries in the Gulf.
It has said it plans to charge navigational fees from passing vessels to fund services including environmental protection.
The United States and some regional countries have expressed opposition to any fees. In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump claimed that the US "has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!"
"Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, 'A WALL OF STEEL,' and there is nothing Iran can do about it," he added.
Shortly after, on Thursday, Iran's military rejected remarks by US President Donald Trump claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz as "lies", saying the strategic waterway was fully under Iranian control.
"The false claims of the United States that ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz normally ... are nothing more than lies and fabrications," said Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran's central military command, Khatam-al Anbiya.
"The Strait of Hormuz is, as in the past, under the complete management and control of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and no commercial ship or tanker without the permission and supervision of the powerful Iranian armed forces has had and will have the possibility of safe passage through this strait," he said in a video carried by state television.
[With inputs from AFP]
