Oman evacuates crew of tanker set ablaze near Hormuz

Oman said on Friday it had rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship that was targeted and set ablaze, as Iran reported three oil tankers had been halted while crossing the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. 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. The crew members were provided with medical care, the Omani statement said. The MarineTraffic ship-tracking website described the Riti as a crude oil tanker. In a video released earlier on Friday, Centcom chief Brad Cooper said US forces had “successfully cleared the strait’s internationally recognised primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines”. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said separately that three oil tankers had been halted after encountering unspecified “incidents” or hitting mines.