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Oman's Mina al Fahal oil terminal suspended loading operations on Friday following an explosion near its single-buoy mooring berths (SMBs), two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, with sources pointing to an alleged drone attack as the cause.
"The blast occurred between the terminal's SBM 1 and SBM 2 berths," the two sources said. It was not immediately clear when the attack took place. Shipping data from LSEG showed several supertankers anchored off the port on Friday.
Following reports of a temporary suspension, operations at Oman's Mina Al Fahal port have resumed and are proceeding normally, the Oman News Agency reported Friday, citing a statement from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).
The Mina al Fahal incident comes days after Iranian state media reported that Tehran had targeted a U.S. military ship hosting a "control and command center" while it was approaching Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, a claim the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denied.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday renewed its warning about the volatile security environment in the Middle East, urging American citizens to exercise caution as regional tensions remain high.
Travel advisories for Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the West Bank remain at "Level 3, reconsider travel." Meanwhile Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza remain under a "Level 4, do not travel" advisory.
Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people.
Tehran, in retaliation, has targeted Israel and Gulf countries that host U.S. bases and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipping. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, and efforts to reach a broader agreement have continued since then.
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