Oman Rescues 25 From Burning Tanker; Iran Halts Three — SkimNews
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- Oman evacuated 25 crew from the burning merchant ship RITI on Friday, according to the Omani Maritime Security Centre; the vessel flew the Panamanian flag and MarineTraffic identified it as a crude oil tanker.
- IRGC said two tankers, one in the eastern and one in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, "encountered incidents" and were brought to a halt in waters south of the strait after attempting to use "unauthorised routes."
- IRGC said a third vessel — a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil — "exploded and caught fire today" after attempting an unauthorised route; it remains unclear whether it was the tanker Oman evacuated.
- Iran's navy said it struck and destroyed an unmanned enemy craft on Friday east of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Brad Cooper, chief of United States Central Command, said the strait's "internationally recognised primary transit routes" had been "successfully cleared" of Iranian sea mines, with the US military denying the naval mine claims.
- Iran has repeatedly warned vessels against passing through the strait without Tehran's permission, has claimed responsibility for attacks on ships, and said last month that vessels attempting unauthorized passage would face "destruction"; it has asserted control over much of the waterway since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.
Why it matters: Iran's account ties each of the three tanker incidents to unauthorized routing, while CENTCOM says the internationally recognised primary lanes are clear of mines. For commercial shippers, Oman's evacuation of 25 people from one burning tanker shows the direct stakes of Tehran's permission regime — and it remains unclear whether that vessel was one of the three IRGC described.
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