MUSCAT: Oman said Friday it had rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship set ablaze in an attack, as Iran reported three oil tankers were halted while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has restricted maritime traffic through the strait since the Middle East war erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.
The narrow waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil, has become a focal point of the conflict, with ships regularly coming under Iranian fire.
Muscat's navy "carried out an evacuation operation for 25 crew members of the merchant ship RITI, flying the Panamanian flag, after it was targeted, which led to a fire breaking out on board," Oman's Maritime Security Centre said in a statement.
