The ship is the third to be targeted in the region after Washington and Israel launched attacks on Iran
A crew member was killed in an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, local media reported on Monday, citing the Defense Ministry. The ship is the third to be targeted in the region after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Massive bombings began on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior officials and hundreds of civilians. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US bases, but the escalation has disrupted shipping in the critical Strait of Hormuz.
According to Omani officials, the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MKD VYOM was sailing 52 nautical miles (more than 95 km) off the coast of Muscat Governorate when it was attacked by a remotely operated boat loaded with explosives. The attack caused a fire and explosion in the main engine room, killing one and displacing the remaining 21 crew, he said.
Video footage circulating on social media shows the ship partially engulfed in thick black smoke.
Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that two ships in the United Arab Emirates had been targeted by missiles – one near Sharjah and the other near Mina Saqr – saying the crews were safe and the fire had been brought under control.
Located between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz handles one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and gas traffic. Although Iranian officials say it is open to tankers, media reports indicate that shipping has largely been suspended due to the risks of a strike.
Reuters reported on Sunday that at least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, were anchored in Gulf waters outside the Strait of Hormuz, with more than a dozen docked beyond the chokepoint. According to brokers quoted by the Financial Times, insurers have warned ship owners that they will cancel policies and increase the cost of coverage for vessels plying the Gulf and Straits.
Brent crude briefly rose to a 14-month high on Monday, jumping nearly 13% and topping out at around $82.37 per barrel. Meanwhile, European benchmark gas futures rose nearly 50%, marking the biggest single-day move since March 2022.
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