22 Rescued From Burning Ship in Gulf of Oman Amid Iran Tensions

Twenty-two crew members were pulled from a cargo ship engulfed in flames in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, against the backdrop of escalating maritime confrontations with Iran. Suspicion of Iranian involvement in the incident is mounting in light of a series of attacks and incidents involving vessels in the region and the growing activity of the Revolutionary Guards against commercial shipping.

Coast Guard forces from the United Arab Emirates responded to a distress call from the burning cargo vessel. All 22 crew members, citizens of Arab countries, were evacuated from the ship and transferred for medical treatment.

22 crew members rescued from burning cargo ship in Gulf of Oman (Photo: Social media)

The UAE National Guard rescued all 22 crew members from a cargo ship that caught fire in the Gulf of Oman. The rescue came during a weekend of incidents in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a statement carried by the state news agency WAM, Coast Guard teams reached the scene after receiving a distress call, located the vessel and evacuated everyone aboard. The crew, all Arab nationals, were given first aid and are in stable condition. “This operation reflects the force’s continuing efforts to protect lives at sea and uphold maritime security in the region,” the National Guard said.

Authorities did not name the ship or say what caused the fire.

The incident comes amid sharply rising tension in the region’s shipping lanes. On Saturday, U.S. Central Command said it disabled the St Kitts-flagged cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman after its crew tried to breach the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. CENTCOM said the ship had visited an Iranian port and that the crew was warned to move away from the targeted areas before the strike.

The UAE National Guard reported that its Coast Guard rescued 22 people from a cargo ship that caught fire in the Gulf of Oman after being struck by an Iranian cruise missile targeting vessels

Also on Saturday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) received a report of an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces east of Khor Fakkan, and said a tanker caught fire about eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman, where the crew was evacuated. It was not clear whether either incident was connected to the ship rescued by the UAE.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have played a central role in threats to shipping in the area. This week the IRGC navy claimed that oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the ships had switched off their navigation systems and tried to pass through “unauthorized routes,” and accused the United States of supporting them. The IRGC did not name the vessels, and its claims have not been independently confirmed.

Merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman have faced repeated attacks since the United States and Israel struck Iran in February.