Fujairah Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a crude oil export hub outside the Strait of Hormuz, came under a drone attack. After the U.S. airstrike on Iran's Kharg Island, the possibility of Iranian retaliation is being raised.
According to reports by Turkiye Today and others citing Bloomberg News, several drones carried out airstrikes on oil storage facilities at Fujairah Port on the morning of the 14th (local time).
The exact extent of the damage is unknown, but a fire broke out, black smoke billowed, and some oil loading operations were reportedly suspended.
Located on the Gulf of Oman along the UAE's eastern coast, Fujairah Port is a key route for exporting Middle Eastern crude without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It is connected to Abu Dhabi's Habshan oil field by a 400-kilometer pipeline and is said to be able to export about 1.5 million Barrel of crude per day. Exports have continued even after the outbreak of the war with Iran.
The perpetrator of the drone strike that day has not been identified, but suspicion is centering on an attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
After U.S. forces carried out a large-scale airstrike on Kharg Island, Iran's oil export hub, the Revolutionary Guard said, "If Iran's oil infrastructure is attacked, we will reduce to ashes all oil and energy infrastructure in the region that has U.S. equity or cooperates with the United States."
The fact that the Revolutionary Guard issued a separate statement warning the UAE immediately after reports emerged of the Fujairah strike that day also adds weight to the possibility of an Iranian attack.
The Revolutionary Guard said, "We consider it our legitimate right to defend our sovereignty and territory by striking the source of the U.S. hostile forces' missiles," adding, "Targets include some regional ports and piers in the UAE, as well as U.S. military hideouts."