UAE condemns Iran tanker attack as Hormuz reopening remains uncertain

DUBAI, Aug 9 - The United Arab Emirates expressed strong condemnation on Saturday for an alleged missile attack by Iran on a tanker belonging to its state-owned oil company, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, within the Strait of Hormuz. Simultaneously, both Iran and Oman hinted at advances in discussions concerning the administration of this crucial waterway.

Iran has been imposing a de facto blockade on the strait, demanding that users pay for the privilege and persistently targeting vessels attempting to bypass their preferred route. The United States firmly opposes any such tolling in the strait, despite a June agreement reached by the warring parties that permits Iran to negotiate the "future administration" of Hormuz with fellow coastal state Oman.

The cessation of attacks in the strait, which had previously been free for transit prior to the conflict, led to the breakdown of an April ceasefire. Diplomats have since urged both sides to revert to the terms outlined in the June memorandum. The UAE's Foreign Ministry on Saturday denounced the attack as a "hostile Iranian action against a tanker from ADNOC, a missile fired while it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire but no casualties."

Later on Saturday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a vessel was hit by a projectile off Oman in the same strait, resulting in a fire that was quickly extinguished, though the identity of the ship remains unclear. On Friday, ADNOC disclosed that since the onset of the war, 15 of its vessels had been targeted in Hormuz, with three incidents occurring in a single week.

Oman's Foreign Ministry on Saturday deplored "repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz," without singling out Iran. The ministry also stated that "ongoing negotiations regarding navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are moving forward positively and constructively," urging against any actions that could jeopardize this progress.

The previous Iran-US deal, intended as a starting point for negotiations on a permanent solution, stipulated that Iran and Oman would determine future strait arrangements alongside other Gulf countries and "in accordance with international law." Notably, international law prohibits tolling in such maritime passages. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that talks with Oman are "approaching the final stages," but cautioning that "this does not indicate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz."

He emphasized that the reopening is contingent upon other conditions and compensation for the violation of the June memorandum of understanding by the United States. Iranian Security Chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr outlined a lengthy list of prerequisites for reopening the strait, including the cessation of the "war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq," the lifting of a parallel U.S. naval blockade of Iran, the cessation of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and compensation for wartime damages, according to remarks reported by the Tasnim news agency.

The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological wing of the Iranian military, emphasized that the reopening of Hormuz is unrelated to the negotiations between Iran and Oman, stating that "the enemy is forced to accept Iran's conditions for the opening of the strait." Meanwhile, Israel's public broadcaster reported that U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command overseeing Middle East operations, made brief visits to Gulf allies UAE, Bahrain, and Israel, reportedly meeting with Israeli Military Chief Eyal Zamir, as part of a "multi-front situation assessment."