Oman Rescues 25 from Burning Oil Tanker Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions

Oman has successfully rescued 25 crew members from a crude oil tanker that caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route where vessels have recently faced targeting. The Omani Maritime Security Centre confirmed the evacuation of individuals from the merchant ship RITI, which was identified as flying the Panamanian flag and operating as a crude oil tanker, according to MarineTraffic.

This incident occurs as Iran reported halting three oil tankers for allegedly using unauthorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unconfirmed if the RITI was among these vessels. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that the three ships were carrying oil, with one being a supertanker, and that they encountered issues or hit mines. The IRGC detailed that two tankers were stopped in the eastern and western parts of the strait for attempting to pass through unauthorized routes, while a third supertanker carrying over two million barrels of oil reportedly exploded and caught fire after attempting to use such a route.

In a separate development, Iran's navy announced the destruction of an unmanned enemy craft to the east of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Iran has previously issued warnings to vessels transiting the strait without its authorization, threatening them with destruction. Tehran has asserted control over significant portions of the waterway since the commencement of the war on February 28. The US military has refuted claims of naval mines, with United States Central Command chief Brad Cooper stating on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz's internationally recognized primary transit routes had been cleared of Iranian sea mines.