Iranian naval forces have targeted and damaged a tanker from their own “shadow fleet” in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a fire on board and the vessel partially sinking, according to Omani authorities. Iran has announced the closure of the strait amid the ongoing conflict, and marine traffic has come down significantly, but has not stopped completely.

The incident, which occurred off the coast of Oman on Sunday morning, has heightened fears of disruptions to global oil supplies amid ongoing retaliatory strikes following US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Palau-flagged tanker, named Skylight, was attacked approximately five nautical miles north of Khasab Port in Oman’s Musandam Governorate.

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre reported that the vessel, an 11,622 deadweight tonne refined products carrier, was struck after allegedly failing to comply with Iranian naval orders by “illegally passing” through the strait.

Footage circulating on social media platforms shows the ship engulfed in flames, with reports indicating it is now sinking in the Arabian Sea.

All 20 crew members, comprising 15 Indian nationals and five Iranians, were safely evacuated from the vessel. Four sustained injuries of varying severity and were transferred for medical treatment, though no fatalities were reported. The tanker was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident, according to initial assessments.

The Skylight has been under US sanctions since December 2025, designated by the US Treasury as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to evade international restrictions on Iranian oil and petroleum exports.

Managed by Red Sea Ship Management LLC, the ship has been accused of facilitating the transport of Iranian naphtha, bitumen, fuel oil, and condensate through deceptive practices such as ship-to-ship transfers.

Ironically, the attack was carried out by Iranian forces on a vessel aiding their own sanction-evasion efforts, prompting speculation about miscommunication or misidentification of the vessel.

his maritime strike marks the first such incident in the current escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.  

It follows a series of Iranian retaliatory actions, including drone attacks on ports in the UAE and Oman, in response to joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had earlier warned of closures to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply transits daily. Shipping firms have already begun diverting vessels away from the strait, with some halting transits or reversing course, according to maritime tracking data.

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