Oman's navy evacuated 25 crew members from the Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker RITI after it caught fire during an attack in the Strait of Hormuz on October 30, 2026. The incident occurred as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported halting three oil tankers for using unauthorized routes, while U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper claimed U.S. forces had cleared primary shipping lanes of Iranian sea mines.
Attack and rescue of the tanker RITI
- ▪The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that a vessel 40 nautical miles south of Lavan Island in Iran was struck by an unknown projectile on October 30, 2026, causing an onboard fire
- ▪Oman's Maritime Security Centre evacuated 25 crew members from the burning Panamanian-flagged merchant ship RITI on October 30, 2026, and Omani naval forces provided them medical care
- ▪The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the crew of a vessel struck 40 nautical miles south of Lavan Island were safe with no immediate environmental impact on October 30, 2026
- ▪The Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker RITI was targeted and set on fire during an attack
Iranian reports on halted tankers and mine incident
- ▪The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that three oil tankers it halted disregarded several radio warnings before encountering incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on October 30, 2026
- ▪The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on October 30, 2026, that its forces halted two offending oil tankers in the eastern and western parts of the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that a supertanker carrying two million barrels of oil exploded and caught fire on October 30, 2026, after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that three oil tankers were halted
Iranian restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪Iran has restricted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the West Asia war erupted on February 28, 2026, requiring vessels to coordinate passage with Iranian armed forces
- ▪Iran declared the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz near Oman's coast as an unauthorized route
Iranian military operations
- ▪The Iranian navy reported striking and destroying an unmanned enemy craft
- ▪Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via a southern route close to the Omani coast
U.S. operations and presence in the region
- ▪U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper reported that Washington has helped Gulf countries export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz since summer 2026
- ▪The United States military maintains more than 50,000 service members in the Middle East region
- ▪U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper stated that U.S. forces successfully cleared internationally recognized primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines
Context of the West Asia conflict
- ▪The United States established a counterblockade of Iranian ports restricting Iran's oil exports and trade in response to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪The Strait of Hormuz normally carries approximately one-fifth of global oil flows, making it a key focal point in the West Asia conflict that erupted on February 28, 2026
- ▪The West Asia conflict erupted on February 28, 2026, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran
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