ADNOC says missile and drone attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have now struck 15 of its vessels since the start of the U.S.-Iran conflict, giving the energy market a sharper picture of how much the Iran crisis is hitting Gulf shipping.
The Abu Dhabi company said the attacks included three vessels last week and have resulted in one death and 20 crew injuries, according to The National and Rigzone, both citing company statements. ADNOC also said one of its vessels was targeted by a missile in the early hours of August 8 while transiting the strait, with no injuries reported in that incident.
Why this is a new turn in the Hormuz crisis
List25 has already covered the UAE accusation that Iran hit an ADNOC-linked tanker in Hormuz. The latest development is broader: ADNOC is now describing a sustained pattern of attacks across its fleet, not just one strike, while the company’s gas arm is reporting second-quarter results during the same disruption.
ADNOC said it remains focused on protecting personnel, assets, and operations while meeting customer requirements “as much as possible.” The company also called for safe and uninterrupted commercial passage through international waterways to be respected.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the center of the wider standoff because it is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of global energy exports moved through the waterway. Iran has restricted normal shipping through the strait while tying a full reopening to U.S. concessions, including sanctions relief, compensation, and the release of frozen assets.
ADNOC Gas says it beat guidance despite disruption
In a separate Monday update, ADNOC Gas reported $665 million in second-quarter net income, above its earlier guidance range of $400 million to $600 million. The company said the result came “despite exceptional external disruption during the period.”
ADNOC Gas also said recovery at its Habshan operations had accelerated to 85 percent, ahead of schedule, and announced final investment decisions and engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for phases two and three of its Rich Gas Development project. The company said the project supports a target of 60 percent EBITDA growth by 2030 compared with 2023.
The results do not erase the shipping risk. They show that one of the UAE’s most important energy companies is still generating strong income while navigating a conflict that has made the Gulf’s main export route more dangerous and more expensive to use.
What to watch next
The immediate question is whether Iran, Oman, and the United States can move from technical discussions over transit routes to a practical reopening of the strait. Tehran has said any arrangement with Oman is separate from its wider demands on Washington, while U.S. officials have pushed for restored shipping flows without accepting Iranian control or tolls.
For now, ADNOC’s numbers make the business cost of the crisis harder to ignore: 15 vessels hit, casualties among crew, and a major energy corridor still operating under threat.
Sources: The National, Rigzone, ADNOC Gas/PRNewswire.