Ukraine condemns Iran's attack on UAE oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz

Ukraine on Tuesday condemned Iranian missile strikes on two UAE oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that left two Ukrainian citizens injured.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for an immediate end to the hostilities and the full reopening of the strategic waterway.

"Attacks on commercial shipping threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation, and global energy security," Sybiha said through US social media company X.

He said Ukraine's embassies in the UAE and Oman were working with local authorities to assist the injured Ukrainians.

His remarks came after the UAE said its oil tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by two cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.

According to the UAE Foreign Ministry, one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured, including two Ukrainian nationals.

The UAE called on Iran to halt what it described as "aggressive attacks," fully cease hostilities, and reopen the strait unconditionally to ensure regional security and the uninterrupted flow of global trade.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said earlier that the US military encouraged two supertankers to use an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz before the vessels were hit and disabled, while it did not clarify how the tankers were struck or explicitly claim responsibility for the incident.

The latest incident came amid renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz after the launch of the war by the US and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June that included a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Pakistan as a step toward a final agreement to end the war. However, US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire "is over" following renewed hostilities.