Emirati official says oil tanker MT RIAH ‘not owned by the UAE’

A UAE official said today that the oil tanker MT RIAH is not owned by the UAE.

He explained in a statement, "The tanker in question is neither owned nor operated by the UAE.

"It does not carry Emirati personnel, and did not emit a distress call.

"We are monitoring the situation with our international partners," he concluded.

It is claimed that the Panama-flagged tanker disappeared while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.