One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday, in the latest escalation in the strategic waterway.
The ministry said the tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were targeted in the southern lane of the strait while in Omani territorial waters. The dead crew member was aboard the Mombasa, it said.
Of the eight wounded, four were seriously injured. Six of the wounded were Indian nationals and two were Ukrainian nationals, the ministry said.
The attack caused material damage to both tankers after fires broke out on board. The ministry said the fires had been brought under control.
It condemned what it called a “blatant attack” and said the UAE retained “its full right to respond to this escalation”.
The ministry added that the UAE remained fully prepared to deal with any threats and was taking all necessary measures to respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability.
