Oil Tanker with 15 Indians hit off Oman coast amid Israel-Iran escalation; 4 injured

US-Israel and Iran war: An Oil tanker carrying 15 Indian nationals among its crew was hit near Oman's Musandam peninsula on Sunday, injuring four people, according to a Reuters report. As per authorities, this marks the first time targets in or near Oman have been struck during the latest escalation that followed the US-Israel's coordinated attack on Iran on Saturday.

Oil tanker carrying 15 Indians hit

Addressing the attack on the tanker, Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X that the strike occurred about “5 nautical miles north of Musandam’s Khasab Port”, after which the vessel’s 20-member crew was evacuated. It did not specify what weapon struck the tanker. It was a Palau-flagged tanker named Skylight.

As per the initial report, four members have sustained injuries of varying degrees. The crew comprised 20 members, out of which 15 were Indians, and five were Iranian citizens, the Oman Maritime Security Centre revealed.

The incident occurred amid a wave of retaliation in the Gulf following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. For the unversed, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint strikes on Saturday.

Significance of the Musandam Peninsula

Musandam may become the target because it is a strategically sensitive peninsula that shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.

The attack near the Musandam peninsula was not the only offensive activity recorded in Oman. Earlier in the day, Oman's state news agency reported that Duqm commercial port was hit by two drones, injuring one expatriate worker. Authorities further informed that the debris from another drone fell near fuel storage tanks; thankfully, no casualties or material losses were reported in that incident.

What is happening in the Middle East?

In a sudden series of events, the US and Israel launched a joint strike on Iran on Saturday, hitting many key government and military establishments. Consequently, many fatalities were recorded, including that of Supreme Leader Ayatullah Khamenei. In the follow-up, Iran initiated a retaliatory operation and fired missiles and drones at Israel and also struck the military bases of the US in several Gulf/Arab countries hosting American forces.

Iran’s leadership has warned that the “great crime will never go unanswered”, while US President Donald Trump cautioned Tehran against further retaliation, saying, "if they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before".

The conflict has disrupted regional security as well as aviation activities, as Dubai International Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the world, has also endured the wrath of the escalation and subsequently several flights have been cancelled, leaving a plethora of passengers stranded at the airport. Besides that, non-stop reports of missiles being intercepted across Israel and multiple Arab countries have raised fears of a wider regional war.