Theme: Oman

A tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles northeast of Lima, Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which said in its first update that no casualties or environmental impact had been reported. India’s foreign ministry said an unidentified aerial object struck a commercial ship off Oman on Monday and killed an Indian national; 13 other people were rescued, according to the ministry. Over the eight months of the US and Israeli war on Iran, about two dozen seafarers have been killed in attacks on more than 120 commercial ships in Hormuz.

Oman and China signed a currency swap agreement between the two countries’ central banks, along with 23 investment and strategic partnership deals and 14 cooperation documents, in Beijing during Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s state visit. The yuan–rial swap was set at 30 billion yuan (1.5 billion Omani rials), with a five-year term, in a ceremony witnessed by the leaders of both countries. Xi Jinping told the sultan that the Gulf region, in the Middle East, should not become an arena for great-power rivalry and geopolitical conflict, according to China’s Foreign Ministry, which said special envoy Zhai Jun would visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month.

One Indian was killed in an attack on a commercial vessel near Limah, Oman, India's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Of the 14 Indian nationals aboard the MSV AL JUSUFI, 13 were rescued after the incident, which occurred on Monday.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang received Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik during a two-day state visit that began on November 1, the first by an Omani head of state to China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1978. Li said China wants to deepen cooperation across the entire oil and gas industry chain and carry out more high-quality clean energy projects.

In a joint statement, Beijing and Muscat urged the United States and Iran to resume dialogue and reach a “comprehensive agreement that includes the nuclear issue”. China's Foreign Ministry said the country's special envoy for Middle East affairs will visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month, according to Reuters, in a text republished by Mehr News.

Oman rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship set ablaze in an attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, while Iran reported that three oil tankers were halted while crossing, according to The Hindu. Oman's Maritime Security Centre evacuated the people aboard the RITI, a Panamanian-flagged vessel that tracking website MarineTraffic identified as a crude oil tanker. In a separate statement, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said a third tanker, a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil, exploded and caught fire while attempting to pass through an unauthorised route.

Oman rescued 25 crew members from the RITI, a merchant ship flying the Panamanian flag that the tracking website MarineTraffic identified as a crude oil tanker, after the vessel was targeted and set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz. The Omani Maritime Security Centre said in a statement on Friday that it had evacuated the people aboard the ship, according to Al Jazeera. Oman said it had rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship that was targeted and set ablaze in the blockaded strait, the Times of Israel reported.

A supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil was among three tankers that exploded and caught fire while traveling through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Friday, according to the Associated Press (AP). The force said the vessel had struck a naval mine. Oman’s navy evacuated 25 crew members of the merchant ship Riti, sailing under the Panamanian flag, after it was targeted and a fire broke out on board, Oman’s Maritime Security Center said in a statement. The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that the oil leak from the Gem No. 2 tanker had been stopped, with no new leakage detected, as cleanup operations continued along affected coastlines, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The British maritime agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report of a tanker on fire 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, with the cause unknown at the time of the report — a later verified report confirmed the crew safe, with no environmental impact and the vessel proceeding to its next port, after it was approached on the port side by a small boat that attached two explosive devices to the hull above the waterline. A ship on fire was reported in the Strait, according to Arab News, citing the UKMTO, without details of the cause or any casualties.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report of a vessel ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz, 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, according to Middle East Eye, and the master of a third vessel reported sighting another vessel on fire 17 km north of Khasab, with the status of the crew unknown, according to Mehr News.

A tanker was hit by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, according to the Middle East Eye. The vessel, which was transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, was able to continue its journey to the next port of call.

Countries of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) taking part in the oil production restraint agreement increased output by 2.31 million barrels per day in September 2026 but still fell 5.42 million barrels short of their targets, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), cited by TASS. In the month, also according to the IEA, Saudi Arabia raised output by 2.33 million barrels per day, Kuwait cut 550,000, Iraq increased 520,000, Oman added 20,000 and Russia, 70,000.

Two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai were taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on October 3, and their families have been formally informed of their detention by the Maldivian embassy in the UAE, according to The Hindu. Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers and crew members, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the alleged attack took place. The UAE has described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and identified the accused co-pilot as 29-year-old al-Hammami.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday that it reclassified an incident in the vicinity of Sohar anchorage in Oman as an attack after confirming that the tanker was struck by a drone, according to the Jerusalem Post, in a Reuters report. Indian minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that nine Indian crew members have been rescued and are safe and that two Indian nationals remain missing, with search-and-rescue operations underway by the local Coast Guard.

The tanker MT Petro Dolphin, carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was hit by a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage, in Oman, on October 11, according to the Hindustan Times. Nine Indian crew members were rescued and two remain missing, with a search by the local coast guard. India’s embassy in Muscat said the vessel is a Nicaragua-flagged tanker.

Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had clearly and firmly set out its conditions for ending the imposed war and would respond to US proposals through mediators.

Iran and Oman plan to notify an international body soon about the agreement on safe navigation corridors in the Strait of Hormuz, according to spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, in a text by IRNA carried by TASS. Baghaei said the consultations between Tehran and Muscat were successful and that the parties reached an agreement on the geographical coordinates of the corridors.

Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, 29, an Omani citizen, was restrained in an alleged attempt to take control of a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv with 182 people on board on 30 September and spent 175 days in New Zealand on a student visa, from 30 November 2018 to 23 May 2019, for part of flight training, according to The Guardian, citing New Zealand police confirmation of the stay. flydubai’s fast growth raises questions about recruitment and vetting after the attempted hijacking, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), in a text republished by the Hindustan Times.

The Panama-flagged tanker On Peace was struck 9 nautical miles off Limah, Oman, and caught fire, according to Oman’s Ministry of Defence. Oman’s air force evacuated 10 crew members and took them to Khasab hospital. Of the 19 crew members, 12 were injured, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The British United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said a tanker 11 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, was hailed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces and warned it would be targeted unless it turned back, and the tanker complied. The tanker's master confirmed it had complied with the instruction to turn back, according to Mehr News, citing UKMTO.

The co-pilot of flight FZ1073 was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani who had previously been barred from flying in Oman over alleged extremist views and moved to an administrative role at Oman Air before being hired by flydubai, according to Al Jazeera citing the Associated Press. Israel received the flight's crew and passenger lists in advance, and the checks would fall to the Transport Ministry's security department and the Mossad, according to Al Jazeera citing Haaretz. Iran denied any link to the incident and said the accusations are based on fabricated evidence, according to the Hindustan Times.

The Flydubai co-pilot who attacked the captain has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, according to ABC News, cited by TASS. A source close to the United Arab Emirates government accused Israel of exploiting the incident for political purposes and delaying the restoration of Flydubai service, and claimed that, according to Emirati officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to connect the attack to Iran for political reasons ahead of Israel's election, according to Middle East Eye, which cites Ynet.

The Flydubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight with 182 people aboard had been barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, according to the Associated Press, in a text republished by The Economic Times. Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed on repatriation flights beginning Friday to bring back passengers stranded after commercial travel between the two countries was suspended, according to The Hindu.

The master of a crude oil tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile 4 nautical miles east of Oman, according to Middle East Eye, citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The British maritime security agency said all crew are reported safe and no environmental impact is currently reported, and advised vessels to transit with caution. Türkiye Today reported, citing a British maritime security agency, that a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, igniting a fire aboard.

A fellow pilot described the flydubai co-pilot as someone with extreme religious behaviour: “He prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women,” he told Channel 16’s foreign correspondent Yosef Yisrael. The co-pilot joined the airline eight months ago and is an Omani national. Israel has called the incident a terror attack, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and flydubai have so far refrained from calling it one. The airline cancelled all its flights to Israel until its own investigation is concluded.

Three Liberian-flagged oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to Marisks, cited by Reuters. The vessels were moving through the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders turned off to avoid detection, according to a Marisks report released on Wednesday, and the tanker Al Ruwais had conducted a ship-to-ship transfer off Sohar, Oman, in late September to discharge diesel, according to Kpler data, according to Middle East Online.

Turkey and Oman have halted incoming flights from private carrier Mahan Air, while the United Arab Emirates has stopped all flights by Iranian airlines, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a post on X cited by Hindustan Times. Bessent said teams were dispatched across the globe to engage with countries and demand action against the Iranian regime and that “these efforts are delivering results”. The Treasury has held discussions with more than 50 countries, according to the Wall Street Journal cited by Hindustan Times.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent thanked the governments of the United Kingdom, Turkey, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for supporting “Operation Economic Outcast”, Washington’s economic campaign against Iran, according to Middle East Eye. Turkey and Oman halted incoming flights from private carrier Mahan Air, and the UAE stopped all flights by Iranian airlines. The UAE central bank blocked transactions to and from Iran by branches of Iran’s Bank Melli. The U.S. Department of the Treasury said it sanctioned 36 targets for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, which the regime uses to move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi called at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on all parties to the Middle East conflict to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue, hours after Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day truce proposal. In the same address, Oman reaffirmed its commitment to continue efforts to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, met in New York with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on Friday, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. According to Mehr News, Araghchi briefed his Saudi counterpart on the memorandum of understanding between Iran and Oman on the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, met in New York with Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Also according to the Iranian agency Mehr News, Araghchi met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, with Palestine and Israeli aggressions on the agenda, and called for stronger regional trust and dialogue between Iran and Arab countries.

Iran treated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as the implementation of a memorandum of understanding already signed with Washington. According to the Russian agency TASS, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS that the resumption of normal shipping through Hormuz should follow the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington and that Iran remains committed to the text and willing to implement it. According to Sputnik Globe, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has sent Washington, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan to reopen the strait and restart negotiations if the United States fulfills the agreed conditions, and under the plan the strait would reopen on day six and talks on a final agreement would begin on day seven. Also according to TASS, Pezeshkian conditioned a meeting with Donald Trump on the United States showing that it does not intend to overthrow the Iranian government. On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the foreign ministers of Oman and Iran discussed efforts to ensure safe navigation through Hormuz.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the state of Iran’s negotiations and agreements with Oman to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to TASS. According to Moscow, the two agreed that only a diplomatic settlement can end tension in the Middle East, The Jerusalem Post reports, citing Reuters.

Ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Gulf of Oman have reached their limits after Saudi Arabia diverted exports from the Red Sea, according to Reuters via The Hindu. Saudi crude exports via the Strait of Hormuz were on track to rebound to 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, up from about 900,000 bpd in August, according to data from analytics firm Kpler cited in the report. State-run Saudi Aramco has sold more than 60 million barrels for transfer off Sohar, Oman, this month and next, since its East–West Pipeline was attacked on September 13.

Airports in Baghdad, Iraq, and Muscat, Oman, stopped accepting flights by Iranian carriers from midnight on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, when United States sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector took effect. The information comes from Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, cited by Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse (AFP). Iraq’s government ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad, according to two sources heard by Reuters, and is considering rerouting those services to Najaf, a pilgrimage destination. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization is negotiating with Oman and says other international flights, including those to Istanbul, are operating as scheduled, according to the ISNA agency. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday, 21 September, that Iranian airlines would be barred from operating worldwide from 23 September under the threat of secondary sanctions on service providers: “you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” he told CNBC. Iran has 27 airlines, most of them domestic, and international routes are concentrated in Iran Air and Mahan Air. Analysts told Al Jazeera that Washington has no authority to close other countries’ airspace, and that cutting off fuel and ground handling achieves an equivalent effect.