UAE says Iranian missiles hit two oil tankers, one Indian sailor dead

On July 14, 2026 the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said two Iranian‑fired cruise missiles struck the Emirati oil tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah while they were transiting the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz inside Omani territorial waters. The missiles ignited fires on both ships; the crews later extinguished the blazes. One Indian seafarer aboard Mombasa was killed and eight other crew members were wounded – six Indians and two Ukrainians, four of them seriously, according to the ministry’s statement posted on X.

Background to the strike

The attack came amid the sixth month of a conflict that began when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. Since then the United States has carried out a series of nightly air operations against Iranian targets, most recently a third consecutive night of strikes on Monday that coincided with President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington was reinstating a blockade of Iranian ports and considering a 20 % fee for ships passing through the strait.

Media additions

Before the war, around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas traffic passed through Hormuz daily, delivering more than 15 million barrels of fuel to global markets.

Details of the incident

The UAE defence ministry said the two cruise missiles hit the tankers in the “southern shipping lane” of the strait. Fires broke out on both vessels but were brought under control. The ministry denounced the assault as a “blatant attack” and affirmed that the United Arab Emirates retained “its full right to respond to this escalation.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a counter‑statement saying the missiles struck two “offending” super‑tankers that had “ignored repeated warnings, turned off navigation systems and attempted to pass through … a mined route.” The IRGC did not name the vessels, and it was unclear whether the statement referred to the same ships reported by the UAE.

"They chose to pass through a minefield and were subsequently targeted and disabled."

IRGC statement, via AOL

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was hit by an “unknown projectile” 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Qalhat, with the master saying the strike damaged the starboard‑side engine room. The agency could not confirm whether that report described the same incident involving Mombasa and Al Bahiyah.

Official reactions across the region

India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, to protest the killing of its national. The meeting concluded after a brief exchange, and Indian officials affirmed that the deceased sailor had been a crew member of Mombasa.

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary‑general, Jassim Mohammed al‑Budaiwi, denounced the Iranian action as “an act of hostility and a clear violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” reiterating the council’s support for the United Arab Emirates.

استهداف إيران لناقلتي النفط الإماراتيتين ممباسا والباهية، عمل عدائي وانتهاك صارخ للقانون الدولي وحرية الملاحة، ونجدد وقوف مجلس التعاون مع دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.

Jassim Mohammed al‑Budaiwi, GCC Secretary‑General, via CnbcTV18

U.S. Central Command confirmed that its latest round of strikes had ended, saying the five‑hour operation hit Iranian coastal‑defence systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities in Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas. The U.S. Military added that more than 50 000 American troops remain deployed across the Middle East.

President Trump, speaking after the U.S. Strikes, said the United States would continue “hitting them very hard” and that the government was preparing to charge a 20 % fee for safe passage through the strait.

In Bahrain, interior‑ministry sirens sounded three times on Tuesday, urging residents to seek shelter after Iran’s IRGC claimed it had launched missile and drone attacks on the U.S. Fifth Fleet stationed there. Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted four missiles launched from Iran, and the kingdom’s state‑run Petra news agency circulated a statement confirming the interceptions.

Political developments in Tehran and Washington

Iranian parliamentarians introduced a bill titled “Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf” overnight, according to the head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee, Ebrahim Azizi.

What comes next

• The United Arab Emirates has said it reserves the right to take “all necessary measures” to protect its territory and citizens, hinting at a possible military response.
• Monitoring of UKMTO reports will clarify whether the “unknown projectile” incident is linked to the missile strike on the Emirati tankers or represents a separate threat in the waterway.

As the two sides exchange fire and diplomatic protests, the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint where every new development can ripple through global energy markets and regional security calculations.