Oman's Sohar port has emerged as a key hub for ship-to-ship oil transfers as trade vessels seek to avoid the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The transfers carry significant maritime risks but offer an alternative to direct Hormuz passage amid regional tensions.
US Central Command told Al Jazeera on September 17 that its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is 'highly effective'. A social media post questioned the military's contradictory messaging about the strait being open while the blockade succeeds.
The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on September 15, resulting in a fire that was controlled; two crew members remained missing while 23 others were evacuated by Omani forces. The vessel was being towed to port as of September 16.
Between September 14–15, 2026, U.S. Central Command disputed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim that the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM suggested the ship was hit by Iranian action rather than by mines, amid escalating tensions over shipping security.
The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile in late August 2026, rendered inoperable, then hit again by an Iranian drone over the weekend of September 13–14. Two sailors went missing; Iran claims the vessel caught fire after striking mines, while CENTCOM attributed the damage to deliberate Iranian attacks, and the ship was being towed to an Omani port by September 15.