One Killed As Ship Comes Under Attack Off Oman’s Musandam Coast
By Mansour Al-Maswari
Key Takeaways:
- Oman’s Maritime Security Center said an Antigua and Barbuda–flagged bulk carrier was hit about 2.5 nautical miles off Musandam on Wednesday, sparking an engine-room fire; the crew was evacuated. UKMTO reported a cargo ship struck by an unknown projectile—the second incident in the area within hours. No environmental damage reported.
- Sources and India identified MV Cape Dao, UAE (Mina Saqr) to India, 28 crew including 20 Indians. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India said the port side was hit near the engine room and accommodation. The Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed the death of Suraj Yadav, 26, of Deoria, Uttar Pradesh; another sailor was injured.
- The strike came a day after Trump said Witkoff and Kushner met Iranians for three hours at UNGA; Tehran has offered to reopen Hormuz within a week if Washington eases military pressure and the port blockade. Reuters: two commodity ships on Monday vs. ~125 a day before the war.
(Albawaba) — One crew member was killed and another injured after an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to Omani and maritime authorities, adding to security risks in the strategic waterway as the United States and Iran pursue diplomatic contacts.
Oman’s Maritime Security Center said the crew of the commercial vessel was evacuated after it was targeted about 2.5 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam Governorate, causing a fire in the engine room. The center described the incident as the second attack reported in the area within hours. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) earlier said it had received a report that a cargo vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile.
The vessel caught fire and was left adrift after its crew was evacuated, with two casualties initially reported. Authorities were investigating the incident, and no environmental impact had been reported. UKMTO advised ships transiting the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.
Maritime sources and Indian officials later identified the vessel as the MV Cape Dao, which was sailing from Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates toward India. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India said the vessel had 28 crew members, including 20 Indians, and was struck on its port side, reportedly near the engine room and accommodation area.
The Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed the death of an Indian national and said it was coordinating closely with Omani authorities over the safety of the remaining crew. The deceased was identified as 26-year-old seafarer Suraj Yadav from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. Another crew member was reported injured.
The attack came against a backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said American officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump described the talks as productive and said he believed a settlement could be reached. Witkoff separately said the meeting had gone well.
Iran has said it is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the United States reduces military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran has also called for the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the conflict.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday, reiterated Tehran’s readiness for dialogue while saying Iran would defend itself against what it considers external aggression.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, and shipping through the waterway has already fallen sharply amid the conflict. Reuters reported that only two commodity vessels crossed the strait on Monday, compared with a pre-conflict average of about 125 large commercial vessels a day.
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