A drone strike and resulting blaze forced the suspension of some oil-loading operations at the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah terminal on Saturday, according to industry and trading sources. The disruption at Fujairah — one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs and a major crude export point — came only hours after the United States targeted Iranian military sites at the Kharg Island oil terminal.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later warned that American interests across the UAE, including ports, docks and military installations, could be considered legitimate targets. Located outside the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah handles roughly one million barrels per day of the UAE’s Murban crude, equivalent to about 1% of global oil demand.
A witness reported seeing two plumes of smoke rising above the port area, though the immediate impact on tanker loadings remained unclear.
RBC Capital analyst Helima Croft: “The IRGC is sending a message that there is no safe harbour in this rapidly expanding conflict. The fact this comes hours after the US strike on Kharg Island also signals that Tehran will not let Washington control the terms of escalation and impose dominance.”
Earlier in the week, the International Energy Agency warned the world could be facing its largest ever oil supply shock after traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — the vital channel running along Iran’s coastline — was effectively halted following USA and Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began on February 28. Several regional producers, including the UAE, have already been forced to scale back output.
Iranian media reported on Saturday that Tehran had threatened further action against UAE ports, urging residents to move away from areas near Jebel Ali in Dubai, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.
The UAE’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Iranian accusations that the strike on Kharg Island had been launched via the UAE.
Authorities in Fujairah said the fire broke out after debris fell during the interception of a drone. No injuries were reported.
Civil defence teams were working to bring the flames under control, the emirate’s media office said, without confirming whether port operations had been halted.
Abu Dhabi’s state oil company ADNOC, which operates facilities in the emirate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, ADNOC also shut down its Ruwais refinery after a separate drone strike sparked a fire within the complex, according to a source familiar with the situation — the latest sign of mounting strain on the region’s energy infrastructure amid the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
