Oman evacuates injured crew from Indian boat targeted in Strait of Hormuz

By Ahmed Khalifa and Sahin Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Oman announced Friday that it had medically evacuated an injured crew member from an Indian boat targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

The military’s Directorate of Moral Guidance said the Royal Air Force of Oman, in coordination with relevant authorities, carried out the evacuation from an Indian boat that had come under attack in the strategic waterway.

The injured crew member was airlifted from Khasab Hospital in the northern governorate of Musandam to Khawla Hospital in the capital, Muscat, for specialized medical treatment, it said in a statement on US social media company X.

The Royal Navy of Oman announced earlier that it had evacuated 25 crew members from a commercial vessel that caught fire after coming under attack 1.6 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam.

Also Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being attacked with two explosive devices late Thursday, 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab.

The developments came amid growing security threats to commercial shipping in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways, where several attacks and maritime incidents have been reported in recent months.

They also coincided with continued tensions between Iran and the US over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global energy supplies and international trade.

The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, followed by a ceasefire in April.

Hostilities between Washington and Tehran resumed in July as negotiations stalled.

Şahin Demir