UAE’s Fujairah port cleared of oil tankers after reported strikes

The UAE’s strategic Fujairah port has reportedly been emptied of oil tankers, with maritime tracking data indicating a disruption to crude loading operations and expectations of a further decline in oil exports next month.

According to Fars News Agency, vessel-tracking data shows no tankers currently berthed at the port, which serves as the country’s key alternative export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, News.Az reports.

Reports citing MarineTraffic and Al Jazeera said dozens of vessels, including around 60 tankers, departed Fujairah in a short period, moving towards maritime assembly areas near the Strait of Hormuz following what were described as security incidents involving unidentified projectiles.

Crude loading operations at the terminal have reportedly been suspended, with sources saying parts of the port’s oil infrastructure were damaged.

Fujairah, located on the Gulf of Oman, is a major energy hub connected by pipeline to Abu Dhabi’s oil fields and allows the UAE to export crude without transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Analysts say heightened security risks in the region have raised concerns among international shipping firms, with some reportedly reluctant to send tankers to the port. Bloomberg has also reported caution among Japanese and European shipping companies regarding operations in the area.

The developments follow a series of reported incidents in and around Fujairah’s energy infrastructure, including a fire in the Fujairah Petroleum Industrial Zone and reports of a tanker struck by unidentified projectiles near the port.

Regional media outlets have also reported drone and missile activity targeting sites in the UAE, with authorities stating that air defences intercepted multiple incoming threats. Some reports have attributed responsibility to Iran, while Iranian sources have denied premeditated intent and blamed broader regional military tensions.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route, remains a focal point of escalating security concerns.

News.Az