PORT OF DUQM, Oman
Operations suspended at multiple Omani maritime facilities as drones target Duqm and Salalah.
The major Omani ports of Duqm and Salalah have both been hit by drone strikes today (3 March) as the fallout of Israel and US strikes on Iran continue to unfold across the Middle East.
Oman’s state media reported that two drones were intercepted on 3 March and a third fell in Salalah port, with no casualties or damage reported. Videos online claim to show the drone falling close to a storage tank in the port area.
In a separate attack, fuel tanks in the Port of Duqm were targeted “by a number of drones”, which struck one of the tanks, according to Oman News Agency. The damage has reportedly been contained and no human casualties have been recorded.
In an update circulated on the morning of 3 March, Inchcape Shipping Services said port operations are partially restricted in Oman in the wake of the attacks. Operations at the Port of Duqm, Asyad Drydock Duqm, and the Port of Salalah General Cargo Terminal are suspended until further notice, Inchcape said.
Elsewhere in the region, a fire was reported at Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, apparently caused by falling debris from an Iranian drone. The fire has been brought under control, according to reports. Operations at the Fujairah Oil Terminal have been suspended as a precautionary measure.
The pattern of attacks suggests that Iran is targeting regional oil and gas infrastructure. At time of publishing, the US had warned of an imminent security threat of missile and UAV attacks over Dharhan in Saudi Arabia, home of a US consulate and the headquarters of Saudi Aramco.
The UAE said on 3 March it had intercepted 172 Iranian missiles and 755 drones since 28 February, and Bahrain claims it has 73 missiles and 91 drones over the same period.
Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff on Tuesday rejected reports that its forces carried out a military strike on Oman, saying the Gulf state is a “friend and neighbor” and that no Iranian military action targeted Omani territory or ports.
Iran denied all reports of strikes against any of the Gulf states , claiming it was only targeting the American bases but many of the targeted areas are hundreds of miles away
SEATRADE MARITIME
