Iran Attacks Palau-Flagged Oil Tanker Skylight Off Oman; Crew Evacuated, Four Injured
In a stark escalation of regional tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, an oil tanker sailing under the Palau flag was struck off the coast of Oman on March 1, 2026, resulting in injuries to four crew members and the full evacuation of its 20-person crew.
According to the Oman News Agency and the Maritime Security Centre (MSC), the vessel, identified as the oil tanker Skylight, was attacked approximately five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in the Musandam Governorate, a strategic stretch of water along the Strait of Hormuz through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply transits.
Omani authorities said all 20 crew members, including 15 Indian nationals and five Iranian nationals, were safely evacuated after the strike and four sustained injuries of varying severity and were transported ashore for medical care.
The incident unfolded amid a broader wave of violence in the region, following Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes in response to joint U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran. These developments have heightened insecurity in and around the Persian Gulf’s critical shipping lanes and sparked fears of wider disruption to global energy markets.
At the time of reporting, it had not been officially confirmed which party carried out the attack on the tanker, though the strike occurred against the backdrop of escalating hostilities that have put commercial shipping at risk.
The Skylight incident marks one of the most serious threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, underscoring how quickly regional political conflicts can spill over into disruptions of international trade and energy supply chains.
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