UAE tankers hit as oil prices surge

The United Arab Emirates said two of its tankers, Mombasa (also reported as Mombasa B) and Al Bahyah/Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while sailing through the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters. The UAE Ministry of Defence described the incident as targeting national tankers in a key maritime corridor for global energy trade.

Maritime reporting centres said the vessels were outbound from the Strait of Hormuz when they were hit. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported missiles striking tankers about 13 nautical miles southeast of Limah, Oman, with other strike reports also emerging off the Omani coast, and said investigations were under way.

The UAE said the missile strikes killed one crew member, identified as an Indian national aboard the Mombasa/Mombasa B. Eight other crew members were reported injured, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals, with four listed as seriously wounded.

Officials said fires broke out on both vessels following the impacts but were brought under control. Authorities did not provide a detailed public assessment of structural damage, but the combination of casualties and onboard fires indicates a significant impact on ship operations and safety.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement acknowledging strikes on what it described as non‑compliant vessels. The IRGC said the ships had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems and attempted to transit through a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz.

In its statement, the IRGC did not name the vessels it said it had targeted. The claims about navigation systems and routing add a disputed operational dimension to the incident, which occurred in a waterway that both Iran and other states regard as strategically sensitive.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported multiple incidents involving tankers being hit by missiles off the coast of Oman. One reported strike occurred 13 nautical miles southeast of Limah, while another involved a tanker about 40 nautical miles northeast of Qalhat.

These reports, alongside the UAE account of attacks in Omani territorial waters, highlight a cluster of security incidents in a relatively confined area near the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities said monitoring and investigations were ongoing to clarify the full sequence of events.

Crude oil prices moved sharply higher following the tanker attacks and renewed regional strikes. Brent crude (UKOIL) rose about 9.6% on Monday to settle near $83.30 per barrel, a large single‑day gain reflecting increased perceived risk to supply routes.

US benchmark WTI crude (USOIL) posted a similar rise of about 9.4% and settled around $78.14 per barrel. Both benchmarks traded higher into Tuesday, with Brent (UKOIL) moving into the mid‑to‑high $80s and WTI (USOIL) trading above the high‑$70s to low‑$80s range, as markets priced in greater uncertainty around flows through the Strait of Hormuz.