(NewsNation) — Two tankers operated by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company were hit by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz Thursday evening, according to the company and British maritime authorities.
The vessels sustained minor damage, but there were no casualties and no reported environmental impact.
The United Arab Emirates is blaming Iran for the attack, calling them acts of piracy and a threat to freedom of navigation and global energy security. Iran has not responded.
Iran updates: New ship attacks in Strait of Hormuz
Thursday’s attacks come as shipping traffic through the strait remains well below normal amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
Hormuz traffic remains well below normal
Nine commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz Thursday, according to Kpler data, below the August daily average of 12.
Iran says it controls and manages the strait, while the U.S. says it could maintain its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely as ceasefire talks stall.
A British firm starts containment of oil spill from stricken tanker off Oman
The latest attacks underscore the risks for vessels attempting to movie through the critical waterway, which carried about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas before the war.
Kushner headed to the Middle East for Gaza talks
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner is expected to travel to Israel and Egypt next week as the administration works to advance a Gaza ceasefire plan.
Kushner and other members of Trump’s Board of Peace are expected to meet with Israeli officials before traveling to Cairo for talks on a Palestinian technocratic group that could eventually govern Gaza.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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