One Indian sailor killed, eight injured in Iranian attack on two tankers in Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that Iran carried out an attack on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz using cruise missiles. According to UAE authorities, one Indian crew member lost their life in the attack, and eight people were injured.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also confirmed that one Indian sailor had died. The ministry announced that Iran's Chargé d'Affaires in New Delhi, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, had been summoned to the ministry.

According to the UAE's statement, the attack occurred while the tankers were in Omani territorial waters. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reported that the two large oil tankers that were struck sustained "serious damage."

UAE officials stated that six of the injured were Indian citizens and two were Ukrainian citizens. It was reported that four of the injured are in critical condition. There were conflicting figures regarding the number of casualties; it was noted that the Indian side reported 10 Indian crew members were injured on the UAE-flagged ships that were struck.

The UAE Ministry of Defense announced that fires broke out on the two tankers following the explosions, but that the flames have been brought under control.

IRAN'S DEFENSE OF "VIOLATING RULES"

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, announced that the two tankers were "neutralized by being struck" on the grounds that they had "violated the rules." Tehran alleged that the ships had turned off their navigation systems, were passing through an area containing mines, and did not respond to warning calls.

Iran also accused the US of "encouraging the ships to use an illegal route." US President Donald Trump's announcement on July 13 that they would reinstate a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz had been one of the issues increasing tension in the region.

Trump had also stated that a "Gulf keep-open fee" equivalent to 20 percent of the cargo carried could be charged to ships passing through the Gulf. Iran reacted to these statements, arguing that the US could have no role in the Gulf.

Tensions in the Gulf, which had subsided following the signing of a temporary ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, have risen again over the past week due to mutual attacks. The impact of the latest attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil and gas traffic passes, on energy markets and diplomatic negotiations is being closely monitored.