Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has confirmed that two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, 13 August — the second ADNOC-linked strike cluster in under a week. The company said there were no injuries and that the situation was brought under control. ADNOC again stressed the need to protect seafarer safety and wellbeing while safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime security.
In the early hours of Friday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned what it called a “hostile Iranian attack” on the two ADNOC-affiliated ships. The ministry said no injuries were reported. The fresh strikes come days after an 8 August attack on another ADNOC vessel in the same waterway, which Abu Dhabi also attributed to Iran.
A Rising Toll on ADNOC Tonnage
Company reporting now puts the number of ADNOC vessels attacked while transiting Hormuz since the conflict began in late February at 17, according to Emirati media citing ADNOC’s latest tally. An earlier ADNOC media statement on 7 August said attacks since the war began had already produced one fatality and about 20 crew injuries across the series of incidents.
The dual strike lands as Iran continues to assert effective control over the strait and discuss fee-based passage arrangements, while the United States maintains its own naval blockade posture against Iranian shipping. For operators, the operational lesson is blunt: UAE-linked energy tonnage remains a recurring target set, and “brought under control” after an attack is not the same as a safe corridor.
What Operators Should Note
- ADNOC- and UAE-affiliated ships face sustained targeting pressure in Hormuz, including repeated strikes within days of each other.
- No-casualty outcomes should not dilute readiness; firefighting, damage control and emergency communications remain decisive in the first minutes after impact.
- Treat official ADNOC/UAE and UKMTO/JMIC channels as primary sources; rumor circulation after Hormuz incidents has already prompted company warnings.
- Voyage planning for Gulf energy moves must assume kinetic exposure even when a prior transit completed without incident.
RegulAs Shipping will continue tracking verified Hormuz incidents involving ADNOC and other commercial tonnage as attribution and vessel status details firm up.
