Two Seafarers Missing in Drone Attack on Product Tanker Off Oman

By The Maritime Executive 2026-10-11 20:47:29

Two seafarers are missing after a drone attack on a tanker off the coast of Sohar, Oman, the latest suspected Iranian strike conducted far from the main conflict zone around the Strait of Hormuz. The location is particularly notable because it is off the coast of a neutral country: Iran  recently negotiated a maritime power-sharing agreement for the strait with the Omani goverment. 

UKMTO confirmed the attack on Sunday. The Indian government later identified the vessel involved as the Petro Dolphin, a small product tanker. Nine survivors have been rescued and the SAR operation continues for the two missing sailors, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a statement on Sunday. 

Unverified video footage purporting to show the attack has been circulating on local social media, below.

Drone Attack on Tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN at Sohar Anchorage, Oman; Two Indian Seafarers Missing A total of 12 crew members, including 11 Indians, were on board; 10 were rescued safely, while the Coast Guard is searching for the missing seafarers. Oman/New Delhi, October 11, 2026: The Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN, which was awaiting berthing at Sohar Anchorage, Oman, was reportedly attacked by a drone. The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 AM local time on October 11. Following the incident, two Indian seafarers are reported missing, while 10 crew members have been rescued safely. According to preliminary information received from the relevant sources, a total of 12 crew members were on board the tanker at the time of the incident. They comprised 11 Indian nationals and one Bangladeshi national. #MTPETRODOLPHIN #DroneAttack #Oman #SoharAnchorage #IndianSeafarers #MissingSeafarers #SeafarersSafety #MaritimeSecurity #TankerAttack #IndianCrew #CoastGuard #SearchAndRescue #ShippingNews #MaritimeNews #IndianMariners #DGMA #DGShipping #MarineSafety #BreakingNews #VoiceOfSea @dgshipping_IN @MEAIndia @sarbanandsonwal @Shantanu_bjp @PMOIndia @InSeaandshore

Petro Dolphin is a 4,000 dwt coastal product tanker built in 2004. It is UAE-owned and operated, and has no port state control inspection history, indicating a domestic operating pattern.

The vessel's Equasis record suggests that it is falsely flagged in Nicaragua. Its AIS signal has not been received by commercial services since May 2026. 

Multiple strikes reported 

The Petro Dolphin attack was just one of many incidents reported since Friday. 

UKMTO reported an additional attack on an unnamed vessel at the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday afternoon, at about 1200 hours UTC. The ship was hit on the port side by a projectile. According to consultancy Vanguard Tech, the vessel was on an outbound transit, and the strike caused damage. Vanguard has identified the ship as a high-profile participant in the high-risk Hormuz trade.

On Saturday night, at about 1920 hours UTC, another tanker was hit on the port side by an unknown projectile at a position north of the Musandam Peninsula. The strike started a fire on board, but all crewmembers were unharmed, according to UKMTO. 

At about the same time on Saturday night, ships at the anchorage at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE reported an unusual VHF instruction from Iranian forces exhorting all vessels to weigh anchor and relocate.

On Friday, at about 1000 UTC, a vessel was reportedly hit by a projectile off the coast of Sharjah, UAE. The attack started a fire, which was soon extinguished. 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also released a video of a tanker that purportedly suffered a hit in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that the vessel struck a mine. The U.S. government claims that all mines have previously been cleared from the waterway; the footage shows the unnamed vessel stationary in the water and the blast occurring at the stern, above the waterline. The timing and exact location of the incident were not disclosed. 

BREAKING: An oil tanker has reportedly struck a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion and an engine-room fire as the vessel attempted to leave the waterway, according to Iran’s IRGC Navy. The IRGC claims the supertanker had switched off its navigation systems and deviated from the authorized route. Iranian forces warned that vessels disabling their navigation or identification systems will be treated as hostile and face a “decisive response.”