Oman's Navy Rescues All 25 Crew From Tanker 'Riti' Attacked in Hormuz

Oman's navy has rescued all 25 crew members from the Panama-flagged tanker 'Riti' after it came under attack near the Omani coast in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel caught fire following the attack.

Citing Oman's maritime security agency, the Oman Maritime Security Centre, the AFP news agency reported that the commercial vessel was struck while passing close to the Omani coast of the strait. Omani naval personnel were able to bring every crew member to safety.

In a statement, the Maritime Security Centre said the rescued sailors had been given medical care, but it provided no further details. It remains unknown whether the ship was hit by a drone or by a missile.

According to the vessel-tracking website MarineTraffic, the 'Riti' is a crude oil tanker.

The 167-kilometre Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most important commercial waterways. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply is transported through the narrow strait.

After war broke out with the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran imposed a blockade on foreign shipping in the strait. Since then, the IRGC, the elite branch of Iran's defence forces, has fired drones or missiles at commercial vessels that defy the blockade, and several ships have been attacked in Hormuz over the past few months.

In a video message released on Friday, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (Centcom), said US forces had successfully removed Iranian sea mines from the strait's main internationally recognised shipping lanes. He said US forces remain on alert in the area to keep those main lanes open and safe.

Admiral Cooper added that more than 50,000 US troops are currently deployed on security duties in the region. He claimed that since the summer, the United States has helped Gulf states export more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait.

For its part, the IRGC said in a statement that vessels transiting the strait must use the designated routes and coordinate their journeys with Iran's armed forces. Iran has declared the southern route, close to the Omani coast, 'unauthorised'.

In the statement, the IRGC claimed the attacked tanker had switched off all its navigation and positioning systems and was attempting to exit through an unauthorised route with the help of the US military.