Authorities in Oman have reported that two sailors are currently unaccounted for following an assault on an oil tanker in the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz. The incident involved the Panama-flagged vessel El Gaia, which was being towed to a port in Oman after experiencing a fire in its engine room.
According to Oman’s Maritime Security Centre, the attack occurred approximately 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 kilometers) north of the Musandam peninsula. In the wake of this incident, 23 crew members have been rescued.
Conflicting Reports of the Attack
On Monday, Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed that the tanker had struck naval mines, leading to the fire while traversing what they described as a hazardous area. In contrast, the US military has dismissed this assertion, stating that the tanker was first targeted by an Iranian missile a month ago and subsequently struck by a drone over the weekend.
Furthermore, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center verified reports of a fire on board a vessel that was hit by an unknown projectile during its passage through the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday morning. This event follows a similar occurrence earlier this month where two Filipino sailors lost their lives on a Saudi-owned oil supertanker after an incident that Iran attributed to a naval mine, while Saudi authorities insisted it was a direct attack from Iran.
Escalating Tensions in the Region
The International Maritime Organization has reported at least 22 seafarers have died in 79 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding regions since the onset of the conflict between the US and Israel against Iran in late February.
In a related development, Iran’s Fars news agency, which has ties to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that “enemy drones” targeted two fishing boats in the strait overnight, near the Iranian port of Kargan, resulting in several fishermen being reported missing. A search-and-rescue operation is reportedly underway.
Additionally, a spokesperson from the US military’s Central Command (Centcom) stated that their forces had destroyed two boats that attempted to seize a sea drone. According to Captain Tim Hawkins, Iranian small boats had recently tried to take control of a US unmanned surface vessel but were unsuccessful due to a strong response from Centcom.
Impact on Global Shipping
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passageway for approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments, yet it has effectively been rendered unsafe due to ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes on commercial vessels, alongside a US naval blockade of Iranian ports. A preliminary agreement in June between the US and Iran aimed at de-escalating the conflict and reopening the strait fell apart shortly thereafter, as Iranian attacks resumed and the US reinstated its blockade measures.
Iran has expressed its unwillingness to relinquish control over the waterway, continuing to target vessels that opt for a southern route through Omani waters instead of the Iranian route, further complicating the situation in this vital maritime corridor.
