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3. Oman Says Oil Tanker Targeted Off Its Coast, 4 Crew Members Injured

Oman said an oil tanker was targeted off the coast of an exclave in the UAE on Sunday, with its crew evacuated and four of them injured, as Iran carried out retaliatory Gulf strikes.

"The Maritime Security Centre announced that the oil tanker (SKYLIGHT), flying the flag of the Republic of Palau, was targeted 5 nautical miles north of the port of Khasab in the governorate of Musandam," the Oman News Agency said on X.

"All crew members of the tanker, consisting of 20 people, including 15 Indians and 5 Iranians, were evacuated. Initial information indicates that four members of the ship's crew sustained varying injuries," it added.

Drones also targeted an Omani port, injuring one worker, official media said on Sunday, marking the first attack on the sultanate -- which has mediated US-Iran talks -- since Tehran began its retaliation campaign in the Gulf.

"A security source reported that the commercial port of Duqm was targeted by two drones. One drone struck a mobile workers' accommodation, injuring one foreign worker, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, causing no casualties or material damage," the Oman News Agency said in a post on X.

The US embassy in Oman asked staff and citizens to shelter in place Sunday, citing unspecified "activity" outside the capital Muscat, as Iran conducts a second day of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.

"Due to ongoing activity outside of Muscat, the US Embassy in Oman has instructed staff to shelter-in-place (ie, take cover). We recommend all Americans in Oman do the same until further notice," the embassy said in a post on X.

Oman, a key mediator in the US-Iran talks, had so far been spared Iranian attacks. It was unclear what the activity mentioned by the embassy was.

AFP