Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of targeting two state oil company vessels, with no injuries reported in the incident.
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Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran
Photograph: Middle East Eye (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Two vessels owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 August 2026, with no injuries reported.
- The UAE accused Iran of carrying out the attack, calling it a violation of UN Security Council resolution 2817 and an act of piracy.
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Revolutionary Guards Corps have not commented on the incident, as reported by WTVB and NDTV.
- The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint, with Iran previously threatening action against vessels linked to its adversaries.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 10 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 4 of the 14 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
70/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
15/100
14 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 2 of the 10 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Two vessels owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on 13 August 2026. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry accused Iran of carrying out the attack, describing it as a hostile act and a violation of UN Security Council resolution 2817, which affirms freedom of navigation. ADNOC stated that no injuries were reported and the situation was brought under control.
The attack is the second in less than a week involving ADNOC vessels in the strait. The UAE condemned Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for targeting commercial shipping, framing it as an attempt to use the waterway as a tool of economic pressure. Neither the UAE nor ADNOC provided details about the vessels’ cargoes or the extent of any damage. Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have not issued a statement on the incident, according to WTVB and NDTV.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has seen repeated disruptions since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on 28 February 2026. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have previously warned of action against vessels linked to Tehran’s adversaries or those failing to comply with Iranian directives. ADNOC said the attacks had significantly affected its operations but confirmed it was continuing to meet customer requirements.
Disagreement over Iran’s role in the Strait
Middle East Eye reported that Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and is seeking to charge users for passage, a claim the U.S. opposes. No other outlet in the material below corroborated this detail. WTVB, the only full report in the material, did not mention a blockade or tolls, instead focusing on Iran’s threats against vessels linked to its adversaries.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mentioned the absence of comment from Iran’s Foreign Ministry or the IRGC, a detail reported by WTVB and NDTV. The left-rated digests did not include the UAE’s reference to UN Security Council resolution 2817 or the lack of injuries in the attack. Only WTVB’s full report provided details on the strait’s significance to global oil shipments and Iran’s previous threats against vessels linked to its adversaries.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 13 Aug 2026, 23:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
2 rated outlets
- The two left-rated digests, from Middle East Eye and Vanguard News, both led on the UAE’s condemnation of Iran. Middle East Eye added that Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and is in talks with Oman over future arrangements for the waterway. Neither digest mentioned the UN Security Council resolution cited by the UAE or the lack of response from Iran’s government.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- WTVB, the only centre-rated report, led with the UAE’s accusation that Iran carried out the attack, framing it as the second incident involving ADNOC vessels in less than a week. The report quoted the UAE Foreign Ministry’s description of the attack as an act of piracy and a threat to regional stability and global energy security. It also noted the absence of comment from Iran’s Foreign Ministry or the IRGC and provided context on the strait’s importance to global oil shipments.
Right
6 rated outlets
- The six right-rated digests all led on the UAE’s condemnation of the attack and its attribution to Iran. Anadolu Ajansı and Emirates24|7 highlighted the UAE’s call for the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Emirates24|7 was the only outlet to specify that the attack violated UN Security Council resolution 2817. None of the right-rated digests mentioned Iran’s silence on the incident or the broader context of the strait’s role in global energy markets.
Read it at the source
14 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
2- UAE condemns Iranian attack on two vessels in Hormuz strait (opens Middle East Eye in a new tab)
Middle East Eye — is Middle East Eye biased? Our profile of this outlet
- UAE condemns Iranian attack on two vessels in Hormuz strait (opens Vanguard News in a new tab)
Vanguard News — is Vanguard News biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
2Right
6- UAE strongly condemns attack on 2 ADNOC vessels in Strait of Hormuz (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- UAE: "Iran Attacks Two State Oil Company Ships in Strait of Hormuz" (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Emirates "Strongly Condemns" Iranian Attack on Two Ships in the Strait of Ormuz (opens Le Figaro in a new tab)
- UAE Says 2 Oil Vessels Hit By Iran In Strait Of Hormuz (opens NDTV in a new tab)
- UAE strongly condemns targeting of two ADNOC vessels while transiting Strait of Hormuz (opens Emirates24|7 in a new tab)
Emirates24|7 — is Emirates24|7 biased? Our profile of this outlet
- New Attack in the Strait of Hormuz: Two Ships Belonging to the State Oil Company of Abu Dhabi Targeted (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
4- UAE Condemns Attack on Its Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. (opens Haberler in a new tab)
- UAE Says Iran Attacked Two ADNOC Vessels in Strait of Hormuz; No Injuries (opens KAYHAN LIFE in a new tab)
KAYHAN LIFE — is KAYHAN LIFE biased? Our profile of this outlet
- UAE Accuses Iran of Attacking Two State-Owned Oil Tankers (opens Hospodárske Noviny in a new tab)
Hospodárske Noviny — is Hospodárske Noviny biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Two Ships Were Attacked as They Crossed the Strait of Hormuz. (opens alsumaria.tv in a new tab)
alsumaria.tv — is alsumaria.tv biased? Our profile of this outlet
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran?
- Of the 10 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 20% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 60% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 14. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 10 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran biased?
- Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran is one event reported by 14 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Two ADNOC tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz, UAE blames Iran?
- 14 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What happened to the ADNOC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz?
- Two vessels owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on 13 August 2026. The UAE accused Iran of carrying out the attack, which it described as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. No injuries were reported, and the situation was brought under control.
- Has Iran responded to the UAE’s accusations?
- As of 13 August 2026, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had not commented on the incident, according to reports by WTVB and NDTV. The UAE condemned the attack and called it an act of piracy.
- Why is the Strait of Hormuz significant in this incident?
- The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, with about a fifth of the world’s supply passing through it before the conflict. The UAE accused Iran of using the strait as a tool of economic pressure, while Iran has previously threatened action against vessels linked to its adversaries.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
