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Oil tanker hit by missile off Oman coast; one dead, two missing
🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Oil tanker hit by missile off Oman coast; one dead, two missing

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A Palau-flagged oil tanker reportedly suffered a missile strike off the coast of Oman, resulting in one death and two missing crew members.
  • Maritime authorities reported a fire in the tanker's engine room following the incident.
  • Security groups suggest the attack may be linked to U.S. operations to block Iranian ports, though U.S. Central Command has not provided details.

A missile attack reportedly struck an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, escalating tensions in the Middle East. The Palau-flagged vessel, identified as the Settebello, reported a fire in its engine room. Maritime authorities confirmed one fatality onboard, with two crew members still missing.

British maritime security group Ambrey suggested the incident was likely a result of U.S. operations aimed at blocking Iranian ports. A second source corroborated this possibility, indicating the chemical and oil tanker may have been hit by a U.S. missile. However, independent verification of the strike remains pending.

This probably was the result of American operations to block Iranian ports.

— AmbreyThe British maritime security group Ambrey suggested a potential cause for the missile strike.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has not yet released details regarding the incident. According to an Indian government source cited by Reuters, 24 of the 28 crew members were Indian nationals. Local authorities are working to determine the nationality of the two missing individuals.

Data from the vessel tracking platform MarineTraffic shows the tanker was partially loaded and was last located off Oman's coast on June 1. The incident occurs amidst heightened maritime activity in the region, including U.S. efforts to enforce sanctions against Iran, which has previously restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The tanker Settebello had transmitted a distress call indicating that its engine room had caught fire after being hit by a missile.

— VanguardBritish maritime security firm Vanguard reported receiving information about the tanker's distress call.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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