Oman's Salalah port suspended all terminal operations until further notice late on 11 March after several drones struck its fuel storage tanks, according to a customer advisory notice.
The attack heavily damaged storage tanks and triggered a blaze, with videos shared on social media showing flames and dense smoke rising over the port site. No casualties were reported, and Omani state-owned news agency Ona later said air quality levels around Salalah remained "within safe limits".
The port has a liquid bulk terminal with storage capacity of about 120,000t and can handle 6mn t of liquid cargo a year, although it was not confirmed whether tanks seen burning in the videos were part of the same facilities.
Another drone was intercepted on the same day north of Duqm, Ona reported, adding that no casualties or material damage were reported.
Oman's energy ministry said separately that petroleum products across the sultanate remain unaffected despite the attacks.
The latest strike follows a drone attack last week on a fuel storage tank at Oman's Duqm port, adding to concerns that the US-Iran war is increasingly testing the security of the sultanate's energy and shipping infrastructure.
Iran said it was not involved in the Salalah incident. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for a key command unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, called the attack "very suspicious" and said Tehran was investigating it, according to Iranian state outlet Press TV, adding that he viewed Oman as a "friendly neighbouring and brotherly country".
Oman's ports have been seen as a safer alternative for cargoes seeking to avoid the strait of Hormuz. Salalah, which sits on the Arabian Sea outside the strait at the southeast tip of Oman, is also a major container transshipment hub. The port expanded its terminal capacity last year from 4.5mn 20ft equivalent units (TEU) to 6.5mn TEU following upgrades at all six berths and a yard expansion.
The strike comes despite Oman having acted as the primary mediator in last month's US-Iran talks and having faced significantly fewer Iranian-linked attacks than many of its regional peers. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq also recently congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his selection as Iran's new Supreme Leader.
