Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said an oil tanker, Skylight, flying the flag of the Republic of Palau, was attacked about five nautical miles (9.26 kilometres) north of Khasab Port.

In a statement posted on X, Omani authorities confirmed that the vessel had 20 crew members on board, 15 Indians and five Iranians, and that all of them were safely evacuated.

Initial reports indicate that at least four individuals were injured and have been taken to a medical facility for treatment.

It has not been confirmed exactly who attacked the tanker or what weapon struck it, and Oman’s authorities did not specify this in their statement.

However, the incident came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings that the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to international navigation amid escalating tensions, following military strikes involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker is reportedly subject to United States sanctions.

Following the joint military strikes by the United States and Israel that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued radio warnings saying the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to international navigation and that no ships were allowed to pass, a move that set the stage for heightened regional tensions and disruption of shipping traffic through the vital waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, serving as the only maritime gateway from the Gulf to the open ocean and one of the world’s most critical strategic choke points.

Roughly 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies pass through this narrow shipping corridor.

Any move by Iran to block the strait would carry far-reaching economic consequences, disrupting global trade and driving up energy prices.