KUALA LUMPUR - An oil tanker carrying 20 crew members was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, injuring four people, according to Omani state media, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

The vessel, registered in Palau, came under attack approximately 10km north of Khasab Port in northern Oman.

The tanker was carrying 20 crew members, 15 Indian nationals and five Iranian nationals. Four crew members were reported injured, though the extent of their injuries has not been disclosed.

Separately on the same day, the port town of Duqm on Oman’s Arabian Sea coast was targeted by two drones.

According to local reports, one drone struck a workers’ accommodation facility, injuring one foreign worker. 

The second drone fell near an area adjacent to fuel storage tanks, with no casualties or material damage reported.

The perpetrators of the attacks have not been identified.

The Strait of Hormuz, located south of Iran, is a key global chokepoint for oil shipments. 

Security concerns in the surrounding waters are mounting after Iran vowed retaliation following recent attacks by the United States and Israel.

On March 2, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that the strait could be closed, stating that vessels attempting to pass through could be targeted.