Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday it had targeted a US military vessel off the Omani coast, while Omani authorities reported that two drones struck Salalah port earlier in the day. The incidents add pressure on Oman, a key regional mediator between Washington and Tehran.
The targeted vessel was "at a considerable distance from the port of Salalah in Oman", Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Military Headquarters, said, according to IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency. "The national sovereignty of the brotherly and friendly country of Oman is respected by the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said.
It was not immediately clear whether the vessel attack and the strike on Salalah port were connected.
Omani authorities said the Salalah drone attack injured an expatriate worker and caused limited damage to one of the port's cranes. Danish shipping firm Maersk said it has temporarily suspended operations at Salalah for 48 hours, adding that its crew were safe and no vessels or cargo were affected. German shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd also said port operations had been temporarily suspended and that authorities were assessing the situation. The company has moved its vessel Lisbon Express out of Salalah as a precaution.
The attacks raise fresh concerns over the safety of Oman's ports, which had been viewed as alternatives for cargoes seeking to avoid the strait of Hormuz. Salalah, located outside the strait at Oman's southeastern tip, was also hit on 11 March, when several drones damaged storage tanks and triggered a fire. Other Omani ports, including Duqm and Sohar, have come under attack in recent weeks.
Oman — which mediated US-Iran talks last month and in June 2025 — had initially seen fewer attacks than its Mideast Gulf neighbours after the US-Iran war began on 28 February. But the recent strikes indicate it is becoming increasingly difficult for the sultanate to remain insulated from the conflict.
In today's other developments, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they launched missiles at Israel, while Kuwait International Airport was struck again in a separate drone attack.
