In a strong diplomatic statement, the UAE condemned the terrorist attack on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to ensuring maritime safety and global trade stability. The incident has raised alarms about navigation security and underscored regional tensions that can profoundly impact international shipping routes.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack, stating that it represents a serious threat to global navigation safety and is a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the stability of vital waterways. The UAE expressed its solidarity with the Republic of India and its full support for all measures that ensure the security and safety of its vessels and interests.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that this attack constitutes a blatant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which stresses the importance of freedom of navigation and condemns the targeting of commercial vessels or the disruption of international maritime routes. It reiterated that targeting commercial navigation and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool for pressure or economic extortion is considered an act of piracy and poses a direct threat to regional stability, its peoples, and global energy security.
International Reactions
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release, “The attack on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman is unacceptable, and we condemn the ongoing targeting of commercial vessels and civilian sailors.” India reiterated the necessity of avoiding attacks on commercial vessels that endanger innocent civilian crew members or obstruct freedom of navigation and trade in any form.
Security Analyses
On another note, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported a senior official stating that the likelihood of a party other than Iran being responsible for the attack on a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz is low. The senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters that South Korea is analyzing intelligence information provided by the United States regarding the attack on May 4 on the HMM-owned vessel (Namo), which resulted in a fire and damage to the bottom of the ship’s stern.
Economic Implications
In other news, Iran claimed that around 30 vessels, including Chinese ships, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday evening, according to official media reports. Maritime traffic data showed that one Chinese vessel crossed the waterway this week. Bloomberg reported that the traffic of supertankers carrying non-sanctioned crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz has increased in recent days, providing limited relief to the global energy market, which has faced significant supply disruptions.
According to ship tracking data collected by Bloomberg, four tankers, each carrying about two million barrels of mostly Iraqi crude oil, have departed the strait since May 10, approaching a rate of two million barrels per day. However, approximately 20 tankers of various sizes were crossing the waterway daily before the outbreak of the conflict.