Panama-flagged oil tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz, two crew members still missing

Oman's Maritime Security Center reported that the Panama-flagged oil tanker EL GAIA was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, causing an engine room fire. An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing. Iran's IRGC claimed the tanker collided with mines, but CENTCOM denied this, stating the ship was struck by an Iranian missile last month and recently by an Iranian drone. The incident follows Trump's claim that all mines in the strait were destroyed.

Oman's Maritime Security Center reported on Tuesday that the Panama-flagged oil tanker EL GAIA was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in an engine room fire. The tanker was located approximately 103 nautical miles northeast of Musandam when the attack occurred. An Omani naval vessel successfully evacuated 23 crew members, but two remain missing. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initially claimed the tanker caught fire after colliding with mines in the strait. However, US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied this account, stating that the ship had been struck by an Iranian missile last month and had recently been struck again by an Iranian drone. CENTCOM characterized the IRGC's claim as a lie and an intimidation attempt. Reports of the attack first emerged on Sunday, with India's Ministry of External Affairs confirming that 13 of the 14 Indian crew members aboard had been rescued, while search operations for the missing individual continued. This incident follows a recent announcement by US President Donald Trump that all mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or destroyed.