Attack on Skylight Tanker in Strait of Hormuz Raises Alarms Over Rising Maritime Violence

A Palau-flagged oil tanker named *Skylight* was attacked five nautical miles north of Khasab port in Oman's Musandam province, according to the Omani Maritime Security Center. The incident, reported to RIA Novosti, involved a coordinated assault that led to the immediate evacuation of all 20 crew members—15 Indian nationals and five Iranians. Four sailors sustained injuries, though the extent of their conditions remains unclear. This attack adds to a growing pattern of maritime violence in one of the world's most strategically vital waterways.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, handles approximately 20% of global oil exports and up to 30% of liquefied natural gas shipments from Gulf nations to Asia. Any disruption here could trigger immediate supply shocks, with oil prices surging by 10% or more within days, as seen in previous crises. The region's geopolitical tensions, exacerbated by recent military actions and diplomatic posturing, have created a volatile environment for commercial shipping.

General Mohsen Rezai, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a senior Iranian official, warned on March 1 that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to tankers