Iran stated that its cruise missiles hit two Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels ignored repeated warnings, disabled their navigation systems and tried to pass through a route Tehran called mined. One Indian crew member died and eight others were injured in the strikes on the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, which occurred in Omani waters. The UAE Defence Ministry confirmed the casualties, noting six of the injured are Indian nationals and two are Ukrainian, with four in serious condition. Fires on both ships were later extinguished. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the two supertankers failed to follow maritime instructions and deliberately switched off navigation equipment. It accused the United States of pushing vessels to use an illegal route and warned that such cooperation would worsen delays and the global energy crisis. The UAE called the strike a blatant attack and reserved its right to respond. The incident marks a further escalation in the Gulf conflict that began in February. Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had announced a blockade on Iranian shipping and declared Washington would secure the strait while seeking reimbursement from users.
