OMAN EVACUATES CREW AFTER TANKER ATTACKED IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Oman's air force evacuated 10 crew members from a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker after an attack in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the country's Ministry of Defence. The vessel, named On Peace, was struck by what India's Ministry of External Affairs described as a projectile about nine nautical miles off the Omani port city of Limah on Tuesday. The Omani ministry said the attack set off a fire on board the tanker. Crew members were taken to Khasab hospital in the Musandam governorate for treatment, it said. India's foreign ministry said at least 12 of the ship's 19 crew members were injured, including 11 of the 17 Indian nationals on board. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said the continuing attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern, and called for an immediate end to such attacks in the interests of peace and stability. India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to the global merchant shipping industry, according to its government. The Indian government said in July that at least 10 Indian seafarers had been killed since the war between the United States and Israel against Iran began in late February. A separate attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz in September also killed an Indian sailor. The attack on On Peace happened as security in the strait continues to deteriorate during that conflict.
Iran has effectively closed the waterway since the war between the United States and Israel against Iran began on 28 February, and has frequently attacked commercial vessels that do not use its designated shipping route through the strait. Iran has also said it wants to charge vessels for passage through the waterway. India's Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its call for "an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region." No group had claimed responsibility for the attack on On Peace at the time the two ministries issued their statements.