Key facts
- The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
- An attack caused a fire in the tanker's engine room.
- Two crew members are missing, while 23 others have been rescued.
- Oman's Maritime Security Centre reported the incident and is towing the vessel to port.
- The tanker was targeted north of the Musandam peninsula, 1.3 nautical miles from the coast.
Oman's Maritime Security Centre said Tuesday that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia is being towed to an Omani port after an attack caused a fire in its engine room. Two sailors are missing and 23 others have been rescued. The vessel was targeted 1.3 nautical miles (2.4km) north of the Musandam peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed on Monday that the tanker hit naval mines and caught fire while passing through a restricted route. However, the US military disputed this, stating the tanker was struck by an Iranian missile last month and again by a drone over the weekend. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center reported a fire on a vessel struck by an unknown projectile in the early hours of Sunday.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments. The International Maritime Organization has recorded at least 22 seafarers killed in 79 confirmed incidents in the region since the start of the US and Israel's war with Iran at the end of February.