Iran attacked an Omani island base on Tuesday that it claimed was helping the US conduct its military escorts for tankers along the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported.
The Iranian military carried out a strike on Didamar, a small, rocky outcropping located at the entry of the Persian Gulf outfitted with navigational equipment.
Tehran claimed the personnel at the island “were helping the flow of oil smuggling by the enemy,” with Omani officials confirming that a loud explosion was detected at the base that has helped sailors navigate the waters since the early 1900s.
Viral video circulation on social media showed black smoke billowing from the small island on Tuesday following the strike.
Iran has kept up its attacks along the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to regain control of the oil flowing out of the Persian Gulf, which has hovered at around below pre-war levels in recent months thanks to the ongoing US military escorts.
The escorts essentially allow tankers to turn off their transponders and sail under protection near the Omani coast, with the waters becoming dangerous again as Iran ramps up its attacks to record numbers.
October marked the worst month for ships sailing along the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waterways, with analysts recording at least 28 incidents, more than the 19 when the war began.
There have been at least 130 confirmed incidents in the waters since the war started, with at least 25 seafarers killed, according to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization.
Tuesday’s attack comes after the US carried out attacks on Iran’s Qeshm Island, which is where the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has its missile and drone launchers that threaten the Strait of Hormuz.
While the US and Iran continue to trade attacks in the waterway, the ongoing peace talks remain stalled as Tehran fixates on its seven-point deal that President Trump already rejected once before.
Trump has reiterated that he would keep pushing for diplomacy in Iran, declaring on Monday that the war was “effectively over” despite negotiators being nowhere near to reaching a peace deal.
With Post Wires
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