A commercial oil tanker was attacked and seriously damaged in the early hours of Saturday in the strategic waters of the Gulf of Oman. The incident occurred about 11 nautical miles northeast of the Omani coastal village of Lima (near the key Strait of Hormuz), world agencies reported, citing an official warning from the British Navy.
According to the official message of the Royal Navy's Merchant Marine Coordination Center (UKMTO), the report of the attack was submitted directly from the shipowner's security officer. The vessel was hit by an "unspecified projectile", which caused severe material damage to the engine room. As a result of the explosion, the tanker was left out of control (not under command) and lost speed, but at the moment there is no evidence of a major fire or confirmed flag on the vessel.
The British Maritime Safety Organization explicitly emphasized that the entire crew is safe and no sailors have been reported injured or killed. As of 7:11 AM GMT, the Omani regional coast guard was fully informed of the incident, and local authorities and international navies have already launched a formal investigation to determine the origin of the attack. According to initial environmental inspections, no oil spills or other negative environmental impacts were recorded in the strike.
The escalation comes amid extremely high tensions along global energy corridors. The area around the Strait of Hormuz remains highly volatile due to the ongoing military confrontation between the United States and Iran, which in recent months has led to a series of drone, mine and missile attacks on commercial ships. Vessels passing through the area are advised by security experts to sail with increased caution and immediately report any suspicious activity.