Indian citizen killed, eight others injured in Iranian attack on Emirati oil tanker: What we know | Today’s news
At least one Indian national on board an Emirati oil tanker was killed, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday (local time), after Iranian cruise missiles targeted two of the nation’s tankers while passing through the southern sea route of the Strait of Hormuz.
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In a post on X, the UAE Ministry of Defense wrote that two Emirati oil tankers, identified as Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian missiles as they passed through a major waterway in Omani territorial waters. It added: “The attack resulted in the death of one Indian crew member on board the tanker Mombasa and the injury of eight others, including four who sustained serious injuries. The injured include six Indian nationals and two citizens of Ukraine. The attack also caused material damage to both tankers due to fires that broke out on board, which have since been brought under control.”
The attack on the Emirati tankers comes as tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since last week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz. After the attack last week, US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire with Tehran was “ended”, with the US military launching strikes on targets in the Islamic Republic on July 8 and 9.
UAE condemns attack on tankers
The UAE Ministry of Defense condemned the attack on the tankers, writing in a post on X: “The Ministry of Defense has condemned this blatant attack, which is considered a serious violation and a clear violation of international law that threatens the security and stability of the region. The UAE reserves the full right to respond to this escalation and take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents to ensure security, its national stability and sovereign interests.”
It further said that it “remains at the highest level of preparedness and readiness to face any threats and that it is taking all necessary measures to respond decisively to any attempt to undermine the security and stability of the country”.
Tension between the US and Iran is escalating, oil prices are rising
The attack on the Emirati tankers comes as tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since last week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump declared the truce with Tehran “over” after the attack last week, with the US military launching strikes on targets in the Islamic Republic on July 8 and 9.
Read also | The US has launched a third round of strikes against Iran
Both Washington and Tehran are now eyeing control of the Strait of Hormuz, once responsible for a fifth of all peacetime oil and gas supplies. The price of benchmark Brent crude jumped 7.8 percent to $81.92 a barrel, still well below the nearly $120 reached at the height of the war, but costs are at risk of rising everywhere, the AP reported.
Following the trade strikes with Iran last week, US Central Command announced that the strikes were complete; however, on 11 July, the US military launched a third round of strikes in Tehran after the IRGC announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice” and attacked vessels traveling through the waterway “unauthorizedly”. The US military hit roughly 140 targets on July 11.
On July 12, US Central Command renewed the strikes, writing in a social media post: “These strikes will continue to impose a high cost on Iranian forces and impair their ability to attack innocent civilians and merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.” Soon after, the US president told reporters in the Oval Office: “We’re attacking them very hard. And it’s going to continue and we’ll see what happens,” adding: “We’re knocking out all their offensive capabilities and controlling the straits. We’re rolling back the blockade.”
While Washington and Tehran continue to trade attacks over issues related to safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf states and US allies are now bearing the brunt of the attacks. On Tuesday morning, Bahrain came under renewed attack and sounded its missile sirens, urging the public to seek shelter.
