Oman rescues 25 from burning tanker as Hormuz incidents mount
Oman evacuated 25 crew from a Panama-flagged tanker near Musandam as Iran's Revolutionary Guard reported three oil tankers halted or ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz.
The story in focus
Oman's Maritime Security Centre said the Royal Navy of Oman evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged commercial vessel that caught fire about 1.6 nautical miles off Musandam on October 30, 2026. Iran's Revolutionary Guard separately said three oil tankers were halted in the Strait of Hormuz after incidents on unauthorized routes.
- Oman's Maritime Security Centre said the Royal Navy of Oman evacuated 25 crew from a Panama-flagged commercial vessel that caught fire about 1.6 nautical miles off Musandam
- Oman said the crew received medical care but did not identify the vessel or those responsible
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard said three oil tankers were halted in the strait's eastern and western sections after incidents on routes Tehran considers unauthorized
- The IRGC said one vessel was a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels that exploded and caught fire; it gave no identities, flags or detailed causes
- US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said the strait's main transit routes were cleared of Iranian naval mines
Rescue off Musandam
Oman's Maritime Security Centre said in a Friday statement that the Royal Navy of Oman evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged commercial vessel that came under attack and caught fire about 1.6 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam. The center said the crew received necessary medical care but did not identify the vessel or those responsible. Al Jazeera reported the ship as the RITI, describing it as a crude oil tanker flagged in Panama, while MarineTraffic identified it as a crude oil tanker. It was unclear whether the vessel was among those Iran said it had halted.
Iran's account of three tankers
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three oil tankers carrying oil were halted while attempting to use routes Tehran considers unauthorized in the eastern and western parts of the Strait of Hormuz. The Guard said one supertanker carrying more than two million barrels exploded and caught fire. It provided no identities, flags, precise causes or details on the crews' condition. Iranian state media said the tankers had switched off navigation systems and sailed despite radio warnings. Iran's navy separately said it destroyed an unmanned enemy craft east of the strait.
Diplomacy and competing claims
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday for another round of talks aimed at ending the war between Iran and the United States, Euronews reported. US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said the strait's internationally recognized primary transit routes had been cleared of Iranian naval mines, disputing Tehran's mine claims. The US military had not confirmed or denied an Iranian report that an American unmanned surface vessel was destroyed. On Thursday, UKMTO reported that two explosive devices attached to a tanker northeast of Khasab detonated, sparking a fire that was extinguished with all crew safe.
What did Oman's Maritime Security Centre report about the rescue near Musandam?
It said the Royal Navy of Oman evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged commercial vessel that came under attack and caught fire about 1.6 nautical miles off Musandam; the crew received medical care.
Sources & further reading
- Oman rescues 25 from burning oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz ↗Al Jazeera
- Iran reports three tankers on fire in Strait of Hormuz ↗Euronews.com
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