UAE says Iran attacked two ships in Hormuz, one dead

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that Iran attacked two ships in the Strait of Hormuz with cruise missiles, killing one crew member and wounding eight others.

The strikes came hours after the United States launched a fresh salvo of attacks against Tehran, marking a new escalation in the Middle East war.

The UAE, a top US ally in the region, has now reported multiple missile and drone strikes from Iran.

Did Iran attack a ship in the Strait of Hormuz?

Yes. Iran fired two cruise missiles at the UAE-flagged tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah on Tuesday while they transited the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters. The Emirati defense ministry confirmed the attack, which killed one crew member and wounded eight, in a statement posted on X.

How many people were killed or wounded in the tanker attack?

The strikes killed one crew member, an Indian national, and wounded eight others. Four of the wounded sustained serious injuries, the UAE's defense ministry said. The attack also sparked fires on board both tankers, causing damage before crews brought the blazes under control.

How did the UAE respond to the attack?

The Ministry of Defense condemned the strikes as a flagrant attack and a grave violation of international law. It said the assault represented a clear breach of international norms that threatens regional security and stability. The UAE has positioned itself as a key US partner in the Gulf throughout the conflict.

Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter to the US-Iran conflict?

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping route through which one fifth of the world's oil passed before the war began in February. It remains a major point of contention between Washington and Tehran. President Trump vowed Monday to charge all cargo shipped through the waterway to help fund keeping it open, and to reinstate a blockade on Iranian ships that was lifted last month.