An oil tanker was struck near the coast of Oman in waters close to the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate following renewed hostilities among Iran and US-Israel.
The four injured crew members sustained injuries of varying severity and were transferred for medical treatment, officials said.
15 Indians onboard the vessel evacuated
The Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit about five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in the strategic Musandam Governorate, according to Oman’s Maritime Security Centre, which confirmed that all 20 crew members, including 15 Indian and five Iranian nationals, were safely evacuated from the vessel.
The incident marks one of the first direct maritime impacts in the region since the latest round of conflict erupted after joint US–Israel airstrikes on Iran that killed the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military officials.
These attacks have triggered a wave of retaliation from Iran, including missile and drone strikes on military bases and infrastructure across the Gulf, contributing to a sharp escalation in hostilities.
Oman hasn’t confirmed who is responsible for strike
Oman’s authorities did not immediately identify the weapon or group responsible for the tanker strike. The evacuation and response were coordinated swiftly by maritime authorities to ensure the safety of those on board.
In addition to the tanker attack, regional state media reported that drones struck the commercial port at Duqm earlier in the day, injuring an expatriate worker, though no major infrastructure damage was confirmed. These developments have added to growing fears about the security of shipping lanes in a waterway that is critical for global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz handles an estimated fifth of the world’s oil shipments.