Norwegian Chemical Tanker Attacked Off the Coast of Oman

A Norwegian chemical tanker, the Stolt Macgnesium, owned by the Norwegian shipping company Stolt-Nielsen, was attacked off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday. An unknown external object exploded, causing a fire in the engine room, while the company confirmed the safety of all crew members on board the tanker. This incident occurs amidst escalating regional tensions, as US forces launched airstrikes on targets in Iran for the third consecutive night on Monday. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and proposed a 20% fee to protect the Strait of Hormuz. In a related context, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that two of its tankers were targeted by two cruise missiles in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial waters. This attack resulted in the death of one Indian sailor and injuries to eight crew members from both tankers. Concurrently with these developments, shipping data on Monday showed a decrease in the number of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz to its lowest level in two months.