Lina Altawell
30 October 2026•Update: 30 October 2026
Oman's navy evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged commercial vessel Friday after it was attacked and caught fire off the northern Musandam governorate, the Omani Maritime Security Center said.
The Royal Navy, in coordination with the Maritime Security Center, evacuated the crew members from the commercial vessel RIT1, it said in a statement.
The vessel was targeted about 1.6 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam, causing a fire onboard, according to the statement.
The crew members received necessary medical care, although authorities did not say whether any had been injured.
The statement did not identify who was responsible for the attack or specify its nature. It also provided no details on the extent of damage to the vessel or whether the fire had been extinguished.
The incident came hours after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being attacked with two explosive devices Thursday evening, about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman.
UKMTO said a small boat approached the tanker and attached two explosive devices to its hull above the waterline, causing a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabling the vessel.
The developments come amid heightened security risks to commercial shipping in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways following a series of attacks and maritime incidents in recent months.
They also come amid continued tensions between Iran and the US over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy and commodity supplies.
The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, before a ceasefire was reached in April.
Fighting between Washington and Tehran resumed in July amid stalled negotiations between the two sides.
