A Palau-flagged oil tanker, the Skylight, which is under U.S. sanctions, was attacked off Oman’s Musandam peninsula on Sunday, resulting in injuries to four crew members. The country’s maritime security authorities did not specify the cause of the incident, which occurred about five nautical miles from Khasab Port, near the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz. The crew, consisting of 15 Indian and five Iranian nationals, was evacuated after the strike.
This incident follows earlier drone strikes targeting the commercial port of Duqm in Oman, marking a notable escalation in regional tensions. These events are part of a broader pattern, as Iran has conducted retaliatory strikes in the Gulf following coordinated U.S.-Israeli actions against it, introducing a new wave of conflict in the region.
The registered owner of the Skylight is Sea Force Inc., with operational management by Red Sea Ship Management LLC, both of which were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in December 2025 for allegedly participating in a “shadow fleet” transporting Iranian oil. The Skylight had mostly been used for fueling other vessels and had been anchored in Musandam since February.
Oman’s Musandam peninsula, sharing the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, is critical to global oil transport, facilitating about 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Share it now
