Iran Piles on Pressure and Targets Tanker Off Omani LNG Terminal

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has widened its campaign of maritime pressure in the Gulf region, striking a chemical product tanker off Oman's Qalhat liquefied natural gas terminal near Sur late on 13 July. The Liberian-flagged Stolt Magnesium, of 27,600 dwt, was hit roughly 40 nautical miles northeast of Qalhat. No crew were injured and the vessel's tanks remained intact, though seafarers were later battling an engine room blaze.

The attack marked a notable geographical shift. Since 6 July, the IRGC had concentrated its strikes along the southern coastal route through the Strait of Hormuz, targeting large crude carriers including the Al Bahyah and Mombasa B, each close to 300,000 dwt. The latest strike, well away from that corridor, has stoked fears that LNG carriers loading at Qalhat could soon become targets.

The maritime attacks followed drone strikes on 12 July against ground targets in Oman's Musandam, Batinah and Al Wusta governorates. These reportedly included coastal radar installations covering the Strait, logistics stores at a central airbase, and bunkering facilities at Duqm. Omani authorities have declined to detail the ground strikes and appear intent on playing them down, with no domestic media coverage, signalling a preference to preserve dialogue with Tehran.

Muscat maintains that any lasting settlement on Hormuz transit must comply with UNCLOS and international law, and must not involve passage fees. That stance now applies equally to Iranian pressure and to a proposal by Donald Trump to levy 20 percent of cargo value on ships transiting the Strait, reportedly announced without consulting Oman, through whose waters such vessels must pass.

For Malaysian and Southeast Asian operators, the developments carry direct commercial weight. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical artery for crude and LNG cargoes bound for Asian markets, and any threat to loading operations at Qalhat or to bunkering hubs such as Duqm raises war-risk premiums, insurance costs and rerouting considerations for regional charterers and shipowners. With Gulf-based fuelling options constrained, Omani facilities have become important to global traffic, and instability there could ripple through freight rates and supply security for energy-importing economies across the region.