Two United Arab Emirates-flagged vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, prompting strong condemnation from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement, the ministry condemned what it described as Iranian attacks and called on Iran to immediately cease targeting commercial shipping.
The UAE said the attack was a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which reaffirms the importance of freedom of navigation and rejects attacks on commercial vessels and the obstruction of international maritime routes.
The ministry also warned that targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a means of economic coercion or blackmail amounted to acts of piracy by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The UAE said such actions pose a direct threat to regional stability, the safety of people in the region and global energy security.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and gas supplies.
