UAE Condemns Iranian Attacks on National Oil Tankers and Regional Allies as Gulf Tensions Escalate Sharply.

Politics UAE

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

AKHBAR Editorial

Lead:

The United Arab Emirates issued its strongest condemnations to date following a series of Iranian military strikes that targeted two Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and renewed missile and drone attacks against Bahrain and Jordan. The incidents represent a significant escalation in regional tensions, drawing immediate diplomatic responses from the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan, and raising urgent questions about maritime security and Gulf stability.

Details:

According to Al Khaleej and Newsd, Iran targeted two UAE-flagged oil tankers — identified as Mombasa and a second vessel — while they were transiting the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement expressing its strongest condemnation and denunciation of what it described as aggressive Iranian attacks, calling the strikes a direct violation of international law and maritime norms. The UAE reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of international navigation through the strategically vital waterway.

Al Khaleej further reports that the UAE issued a separate condemnation addressing renewed Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Newsd confirmed that the UAE extended this condemnation to include Kuwait among the affected parties, indicating a broader pattern of Iranian military activity across the Gulf region. Jordan's Armed Forces General Command separately announced that air defense systems successfully intercepted and downed four ballistic missiles that had entered Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory.

Kuwait's government, as reported by both Al Khaleej and Newsd, conveyed its strong denunciation of the Iranian assault on the two Emirati tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, expressing solidarity with the UAE and calling the strikes an act of aggression. On the diplomatic front, Al Khaleej reported that Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, participated in a high-level GCC-European Union security forum in Brussels, where UAE and European officials reached a convergence of views on Gulf security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the international dimension of the crisis.

Meanwhile, Al Khaleej reported that UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled to Qatar's Lusail Palace to offer condolences to Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani following the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, reflecting continued inter-Gulf diplomatic engagement amid the regional turbulence.

Watch For:

Whether the UAE will formally escalate the tanker attacks to the United Nations Security Council or pursue bilateral diplomatic channels with Tehran.

The trajectory of Iranian missile activity targeting Gulf Cooperation Council member states and whether a coordinated GCC security response will be formalized.

The outcome of the Brussels GCC-EU security forum and any joint statements that may translate into concrete maritime security mechanisms for the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE Brief