Storage tanks at the port of Salalah in Oman were heavily damaged after being bombed today, according to shipping companies operating out of the port.
Sources said infrastructure at Salalah was on fire and that some port staff had been evacuated.
Salalah, at the southeastern tip of Oman, is a major container transshipment hub. It expanded its terminal capacity last year from 4.5mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to 6.5mn TEU after upgrades at all six berths and a yard expansion.
Salalah is among the latest targets of Iranian missile and drone attacks on energy and logistics infrastructure across the Mideast Gulf. Iran launched the strikes in retaliation for the US-Israeli bombing campaign that began 11 days ago. A fuel storage tank at Oman's Duqm port was hit by a drone last week.
Iran has also targeted vessels in the Mideast Gulf, forcing traffic through the strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway for regional oil and gas exports — to a near standstill. Three vessels came under attack in Mideast Gulf waters earlier today, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
UKMTO said it has received 17 incident reports involving vessels in the Mideast Gulf, the strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman since the US-Iran war started.
