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The UAE has strongly condemned the Iranian attack targeting the Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker ‘Wedyan’ as it transited the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command earlier said that it renewed attacks on Iran in retaliation for strikes on three commercial vessels transiting the strait, including Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it struck 85 targets in Bahrain and Kuwait after US retaliatory strikes on the Islamic Republic on Tuesday.
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In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in UAE (Mofa) affirmed that the attack on Wedyan constitutes a grave threat to the safety of international navigation and is a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the security of one of the world’s most vital waterways.
The UAE expressed its full solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, affirming its support for all measures taken to protect the safety and security of its ships and national interests, and to ensure freedom of navigation in territorial and international waters.
The Ministry also stressed that this attack constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the importance of protecting freedom of navigation and rejects targeting commercial vessels or disrupting international maritime routes.
It emphasised that targeting commercial shipping or using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool for pressure or economic blackmail is an unacceptable act and poses a direct threat to regional stability, global energy security, and the safety of international trade.
Source: Khaleej Times