An oil tanker was struck off the coast of Oman’s Musandam peninsula on Sunday as tensions in the Gulf region continue to surge following the ongoing conflict between Iran and United States–Israel forces. The Palau‑flagged tanker Skylight was targeted about **five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Oman’s Maritime Security Centre.
All 20 crew members on board including 15 Indians and five Iranians were safely evacuated after the attack, authorities said. Four crew members sustained injuries of varying severity and have been transferred ashore for medical treatment.
The incident occurred after drone strikes hit Oman’s commercial port of Duqm earlier in the day, where at least one expatriate worker was injured when a drone struck a workers’ accommodation area. Debris from another drone reportedly landed near fuel storage tanks, though it did not cause casualties or major damage.
Omani authorities have not yet confirmed who carried out the maritime attack, but the incident follows a wave of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf after joint U.S. and Israeli forces targeted Iran, including the strike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has rapidly expanded beyond traditional battle lines, with naval routes and ports now becoming frontlines in the standoff.
The Strait of Hormuz through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit is a vital global energy artery. Attacks in these waters have raised immediate concerns over the security of international shipping lanes and the potential for broader disruption to the global oil market.
The evacuation of the Indian crew and the safe transfer of injured members to medical care relieved immediate fears for their safety, but the broader incident highlights how the Middle East conflict is affecting not just nations directly involved but also global trade and geopolitics.
