Oman rescues 25 sailors from burning tanker in Strait of Hormuz — Al Jazeera

Omani maritime services evacuated 25 crew members from the vessel RITI, which was on fire in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Al Jazeera.

Crew evacuation

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said the vessel was sailing under the Panamanian flag. The Omani side described RITI as a merchant vessel, while the MarineTraffic tracking service identified it as a crude oil tanker.

The incident occurred amid Iran’s reports of stopping three oil tankers that, according to Tehran, were attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via “unauthorized routes.” It was not specified whether RITI was one of these tankers.

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Statements by Iran and the United States

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that all three vessels were carrying oil, and one of them was a supertanker. According to the IRGC, two tankers experienced incidents or struck mines and were stopped in waters south of the strait. Later, the IRGC reported that the supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil exploded and caught fire while attempting to pass via an “unauthorized route.”

Iranian naval forces also reported destroying an enemy drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has repeatedly warned vessels against passing through the waterway without its permission and claimed responsibility for attacks on ships. The U.S. military denies the claims about sea mines: U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper said that the internationally recognized main transit routes of the strait have been cleared of Iranian mines.