Oman Rescues 25 Crew From Burning Hormuz Tanker

Twenty-five crew members left a burning crude oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after Oman’s maritime authorities rescued them on Friday. The ship, named RITI and flying the Panama flag, was carrying oil. Oman did not say what caused the fire or whether the vessel was one of those Iran says struck mines. The crew’s evacuation offers a clear outcome amid a run of disputed reports at sea. ^6,11

The RITI rescue came as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said four tankers had caught fire after striking mines on routes Tehran called unauthorised. Iran did not name the ships, and the claims have not been independently confirmed. The United States military says it cleared Iranian mines from the strait’s recognised main shipping routes. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown object as it left the waterway. ^1,5,6,10

That unknown object matters to crews far beyond the RITI. On October 30, the Panama-flagged Louise 1, carrying 27 Indian sailors, was reportedly approached by a small boat that attached two magnetic explosive devices to its hull. The blast started a fire in the engine room and briefly disabled the ship, but the crew put out the fire and continued its voyage. India’s shipping minister said all 27 were safe. A separate tanker attack the day before involved two Indian sailors, who were also reported safe. ^12,13

Those attacks are unfolding along a narrow route linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, a key passage for oil shipments. UKMTO recorded at least 35 attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and strait during October. Shipping there was running about 70 percent below pre-war levels. The next clear measure will be whether ships can safely use the recognised route, as Washington and Tehran continue talks and the United States keeps military options open. ^2,6,1