Oman says 1 killed as oil tanker targeted northwest of Sultan Qaboos Port

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) – Oman said Monday that an oil tanker was targeted northwest of Sultan Qaboos Port, and its crew was evacuated after a fire erupted.

The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MKD VYOM "was attacked by a remotely operated boat" around 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate, the Maritime Security Center said on US social media company X.

The tanker was carrying around 59,463 metric tons of cargo, it stated, adding that the attack caused a fire and an explosion in the main engine room, killing one crew member of Indian nationality.

"In coordination with the Maritime Security Center, the tanker’s crew of 21 people—including 16 Indians, 4 Bangladeshis, and 1 Ukrainian—was evacuated by the commercial vessel (MV SAND), flying the flag of Panama," the center noted.

Meanwhile, a ship from the Oman's Royal Navy is overseeing the condition of the damaged tanker and issuing safety warnings to other vessels navigating the area, it added.

The development came as the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.