Adnoc vessel damaged in attack in Arabian Gulf on November 10
Key Facts
Adnoc Logistics & Services confirmed that one of its vessels was damaged in an attack inside the UAE’s territorial waters in the Arabian Gulf on the afternoon of November 10. gCaptain published the company’s statement via the Emirates News Agency, without identifying the vessel or its type. Adnoc said in its operational update that the vessel was not carrying any cargo at the time of the incident. The statement provided no details on the extent of the damage or any crew injuries. The incident places a vessel belonging to the UAE energy company among a series of maritime events in the region, amid continuing restrictions and risks to navigation.
On the same day, a tanker’s master told UKMTO that the vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman. The agency logged the incident as warning 201-26 at 1338 UTC, without identifying the tanker. UKMTO said the crew were safe and no environmental impact had been reported. The warning did not link the incident to the Adnoc vessel or attribute the projectile to any party. gCaptain said it was unclear whether the two incidents were related or separate events.
Data from the Joint Maritime Information Center, issued on November 8, reflect the level of risk that preceded the two incidents by two days. The center rated the threat in the Strait of Hormuz as severe and said deliberate hostile action was highly likely under prevailing conditions. Its update recorded 177 maritime incidents since March 1, including 5 since the previous report, according to the center’s list. Independent tracking data showed daily transits at single-digit to low double-digit levels. That compares with a historical average of about 138 vessels a day in the 2025 baseline, according to the center.
The center estimated that about 162 vessels were anchored near Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on November 8, and said congestion was likely to continue because of transit restrictions. From November 5 to 7, the center recorded 91 transits through the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. assistance, a tally based on a different counting system from the independent tracking data. It also said a tanker reported on November 7 that it had been struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outward from the strait. The center said that tanker’s crew were safe and no environmental impact had been reported. These incidents remain separate from the November 10 incidents unless the relevant authorities announce a link between them.
Attacks continued into October and November, according to figures Reuters cited from data by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Ships came under 37 attacks in October, the highest monthly total since the conflict began, and attacks hit at least 10 vessels in the first 10 days of November. The International Maritime Organization confirmed 133 incidents in the region since the conflict began in late February, mostly attacks, with at least 25 seafarers killed. Reuters reported that satellite images showed oil slicks off the coasts of Oman and the UAE, and documented oil reaching Oman’s shore. In an earlier incident involving the company, the UAE said in August that two Adnoc vessels had been attacked by drones while transiting Hormuz, with no injuries, according to the company.
Reuters said expectations of de-escalation were reflected in lower oil prices, despite continuing tanker attacks and spills. The damage to the Adnoc vessel places the incident in a setting where market bets on easing tensions coexist with ongoing maritime risks. The Associated Press quoted an analyst at Rystad Energy as saying oil could fall to a range of $80–82 a barrel next year if the Strait of Hormuz were reopened. The analyst tied that estimate to the condition that the strait be reopened and did not present it as a certainty. The estimate does not include a current price or a forecast specific to the impact of the Adnoc incident.