Two oil tankers were struck by projectiles off the coast of Oman on March 1, as Iranian attacks in the region escalate amid rising regional tensions. The incidents left one seafarer dead and four others injured.
The Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit approximately five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. Oman’s Maritime Security Centre confirmed that all 20 crew members (15 Indians and five Iranians) were evacuated after the strike. Four seafarers sustained injuries of varying severity and were transferred ashore for medical treatment.
The 2006-built tanker, owned by Sea Force Inc. and managed by Red Sea Ship Management, had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in December 2025 over alleged involvement in transporting Iranian petroleum as part of a so-called “shadow fleet.”
In another incident, the Liberian-flagged tanker MKD Vyom was struck by what the vessel’s manager described as an unknown projectile approximately 44 nautical miles northwest of Muscat. The impact caused a fire in the engine room, which was later brought under control. One crew member was killed in the attack. The vessel was reportedly laden at the time of the strike.
The attacks occurred amid escalating regional tensions following reported joint U.S.–Israeli strikes against Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliatory actions targeting sites in Gulf states. Oman’s Musandam Peninsula lies along the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the global oil supply transits.
The incidents mark a significant escalation, bringing direct security threats to commercial vessels operating near Omani waters. Maritime operators in the region have been advised to exercise heightened caution as geopolitical instability increases the risk profile for Gulf shipping routes.
