One Indian national was killed and eight other crew members wounded after two Emirati oil tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday, as military tensions between the United States and Iran deepened overnight across the Gulf.The tankers were targeted while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial waters.“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. Six of the wounded were Indian nationals and two were Ukrainian nationals, the ministry said. 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 ministry said.According to the ministry, the crew member killed was aboard the Mombasa. Four of the eight injured sustained serious injuries.
UAE vows response
The UAE condemned the strike as a “blatant attack” and said it reserved “its full right to respond to this escalation”.The ministry added that the UAE remained fully prepared to deal with any threats and was taking all necessary measures to respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability.The UAE ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) also condemned the attack and expressed condolences to India.“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 ministry said.It also warned against attacks on commercial shipping.“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,” it said.It added that targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of “economic coercion” or “blackmail” constituted an act of piracy and posed a direct threat to regional stability and global energy security.
Iran claims vessels ignored warnings
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later said two “offending” supertankers had been hit and disabled after ignoring repeated warnings, switching off their navigation systems and attempting to pass through what it described as a mined route.The IRGC did not identify the vessels involved and did not say whether it was referring to the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah.Separately, the United Kingdom maritime trade operations (UKTMO) agency reported that a tanker travelling around 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Qalhat had been struck by an unknown projectile.According to UKTMO, the vessel’s master reported that the projectile struck the starboard-side engine room and that all crew members were safe. Reuters said it could not immediately verify whether the report referred to the same incident reported by the UAE.
Sirens sound in Bahrain
Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday as Iran retaliated following the latest round of US airstrikes. Authorities activated missile warning sirens twice, urging residents to take shelter. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the attack.In a post on its X account, the ministry urged citizens and residents to remain calm, move to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels.
Escalation follows renewed US-Iran hostilities
The tanker strike came hours after the US military carried out a third consecutive night of strikes on Iran and president Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf.Trump also said the United States would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open, for a fee, and warned that US forces would strike Iran again ‘very hard’ after fresh missile and drone exchanges between the two sides.Iran’s top joint military command responded by saying the United States had no role in determining the future of the Strait of Hormuz and would not be allowed to intervene.