2 UAE tankers attacked while transiting Strait of Hormuz, and other news from the Middle East

Two oil tankers belonging to Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC were attacked by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, the company reported. No injuries were reported, and the situation was brought under control. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center confirmed that the two vessels experienced minor damage from the drone attacks, but it did not specifically identify them as the ADNOC ships.

The UAE's Foreign Ministry blamed Iran for the attacks, calling them "acts of piracy" and a "flagrant violation" of United Nations' principles of freedom of navigation. The attacks underscore the risks faced by vessels utilizing the critical waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open oceans. Iran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz.