Crew Abandon Burning Tanker After Projectile Strike off Khasab
A tanker caught fire after it was struck by a projectile about eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, on the evening of 7 November 2026. Khasab lies at the southern edge of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran that links the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued warnings for two reports that evening, at 19:20 and 20:20 UTC. Military sources said a tanker was on fire and its crew had left the vessel. In a later report, a company security officer said a tanker on an outbound transit had been hit by an unknown projectile, that all crew were safe and that there was no environmental impact.
From the CrewMirror Blog
Open-source analysts have tentatively named the ship as the products tanker Navig8 Messi, linked to UAE-based ADNOC Logistics & Services, but this has not been officially confirmed. Unverified footage showed a fire amidships, with at least two firefighting tugs at the scene. The number and nationalities of the crew have not been released, and no injuries have been reported.
No group has formally claimed the attack. UKMTO said attacks, attempted attacks and harassment of merchant ships by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) have continued in the area. The same day, US forces disabled the bulk carrier Huda in the Gulf of Oman, adding to an already tense week for shipping in the region.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Every crew member here got off safely, which shows the value of well-practised abandon-ship and fire drills. Crews transiting Hormuz should keep survival craft ready, follow UKMTO and flag-state advisories closely, and report any suspicious activity at once.
