[50176] Drone attack on an ADNOC oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

Tension in the Gulf: United Arab Emirates reports Iranian attack on oil tanker

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates announced today, Monday, May 4, 2026, that an oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, was attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, the UAE attributes the attack, which was carried out using two drones, to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE President, defined the attack as an "Iranian threat to the security and stability of the region." In a report by DW Persian, the Emirati Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as an act of "piracy" by the Revolutionary Guards, and noted that the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a tool for economic extortion must stop.

Various sources identified with Iranian security elements, such as the Revolutionary Guards Army, confirmed the details of the report regarding the use of two drones against the tanker. Conversely, Telegram channels identified with the government in Iran and with supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian, claimed that the tanker had made an "illegal passage" through the Strait of Hormuz, and added criticism of the UAE's foreign policy toward Israel.

In addition to the tanker, there were reported claims of damage to oil infrastructure at the Port of Fujairah. According to the 'Payam Iran' channel, this is the strategic endpoint of the ADCOP oil pipeline, which allows the UAE to bypass the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and export about 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. These sources claim that the damage to the infrastructure at the port caused a partial shutdown of loading operations at the facility.