Omani maritime security announced the evacuation of all crew members of a Norwegian oil tanker that was targeted off the coast of Oman, according to Al Arabiya.

An explosion of unknown origin occurred on board a Norwegian tanker off the Omani coast on Tuesday, according to a crisis response company.

Explosion on an oil tanker

MTI Network said in a statement that shipping company Stolt Tankers announced at approximately 00:40 local time (20:00 Monday GMT) that its tanker Stolt Magnesium was hit by an explosion caused by an unidentified external device while passing through the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman.

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The explosion caused a fire in the ship's engine room, but an MTI Network spokesman confirmed that all crew members were safe. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker reported being hit by an unknown object in the engine room on the starboard side, 40 nautical miles northeast of Qalhat in Oman.

Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran exchanged strikes, following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz attributed to Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which a fifth of the world's oil passed before the war broke out in February, has been a major source of tension between the US and Iran.