The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report dated August 15, 2026. The alleged strike occurred a day earlier while the ship was passing through the waterway, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported.
ADNOC said nobody was injured and the situation had been brought under control. the cited account did not name the vessel or give details about damage, the method of attack or its precise location within the strait.
Iran had not immediately commented on the UAE’s accusation. The Emirati Foreign Ministry called on Tehran to stop what it characterized as unprovoked attacks, end hostilities and permit the full reopening of the waterway.
The episode was described as the third incident involving an ADNOC vessel in less than a week. The UAE had also blamed Iran for the earlier cases. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had previously threatened measures against ships using the strait if they were linked to Tehran’s adversaries or did not follow Iranian directives.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said Abu Dhabi would protect its sovereignty, interests and navigation rights after the repeated incidents. At the same time, he said the UAE would continue dialogue and give priority to diplomatic options.
Separate maritime report
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately said it had received a report that a bulk carrier was hit by an unidentified projectile in the strait on Friday. The available information did not establish whether that report concerned the same ADNOC vessel cited by the UAE.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and is a major route for energy shipments. Before the conflict described in the cited report, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway.
Shipping in the area had faced repeated disruption since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. Those interruptions had increased freight rates and generated security concerns, according to the report. Against that background, the UAE’s demand for a complete reopening linked the alleged attack to the broader question of access through the strait.
ADNOC is Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company and is among the world’s largest energy producers. Its international business includes exports of crude oil, natural gas and refined products, making the security of shipping routes relevant to its operations beyond the individual vessel involved.
The UAE’s account and the UK maritime report remained distinct in the available reporting. Abu Dhabi directly attributed the incident involving its company’s vessel to Iran, while the UK agency described only an unknown projectile striking a bulk carrier. No Iranian response or independent confirmation of the UAE’s attribution was included.
