Panama-flagged oil tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz, two crew members still missing
An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing.
On Tuesday, the Oman Maritime Security Center reported that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a fire in its engine room. The vessel was towed to an Omani port after 23 crew members were safely evacuated by an Omani naval vessel. However, two crew members remain missing. Initially, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the tanker had caught fire due to a mine collision, but CENTCOM dismissed this report.
Instead, CENTCOM stated that the ship had been struck by an Iranian missile and a drone. The IRGC's false claim is just one of many lies and intimidation tactics they use to impede commercial vessels in the strait. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack, with 13 out of the 14 Indian crew members rescued and a search and rescue operation underway for the missing individual.
The US Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities. This attack comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that all mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or destroyed.
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