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Omani authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations after the Panama-flagged oil tanker EL GAIA was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire in the vessel's engine-room area and forcing the evacuation of its crew. The Royal Navy of Oman evacuated 23 of the 25 seafarers and provided medical assistance, while two crew members remain missing and the damaged tanker is being moved toward an Omani port. Panama's maritime authority separately confirmed the engine-room impact, fire and crew accounting. The 2005-built, approximately 48,000-dwt tanker had 14 Indian and 11 Pakistani seafarers aboard; the two missing crew have been reported as an Indian oiler and a Pakistani third engineer. The cause of the incident remains disputed: Iran's IRGC says EL GAIA entered a restricted route and struck naval mines, while U.S. Central Command says the vessel had previously been disabled by an Iranian missile and was struck again by an Iranian drone during the weekend. Oman and Panama have not publicly adopted either attribution.
EL GAIA Incident Snapshot
Oman has evacuated most of the crew from the damaged tanker while maritime authorities continue searching for two missing seafarers.
A Royal Navy of Oman vessel removed 23 crew members and coordinated medical care. Search operations continue for the remaining two seafarers.
Panama's maritime authority says the tanker sustained an impact in the engine-room area, triggering the onboard fire.
Omani authorities reported that the engine-room fire was successfully brought under control.
Authorities are monitoring the movement of the disabled tanker toward port following the rescue operation.
Iran says the tanker struck mines. CENTCOM says the vessel was deliberately struck by an Iranian drone after an earlier missile hit.
EL GAIA Incident Reconstruction
Authorities agree that the tanker was damaged and its crew required evacuation, but the mechanism and responsibility for the strike remain contested.
| Issue | Status | Oman / Panama | Iranian Account | U.S. Account | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel Damage | CONFIRMED Engine-Room Impact | Panama says EL GAIA sustained an impact in the engine-room area that triggered a fire. Oman says the fire was extinguished. | Iran says a mine strike caused an explosion and subsequent fire aboard the tanker. | CENTCOM says the latest damage resulted from an Iranian drone attack. | The existence of impact damage and fire is established. The cause remains disputed. |
| Crew Response | SAR ACTIVE 23 Evacuated | A Royal Navy of Oman vessel evacuated 23 seafarers and coordinated medical treatment. Two remain missing. | Iranian statements focused primarily on the claimed mine incident rather than the subsequent Omani SAR response. | U.S. statements have focused on attribution rather than providing a separate crew accounting. | Oman and Panama provide the clearest official crew status. |
| Iranian Explanation | CLAIMED Naval Mine | Oman has not publicly confirmed a mine strike. | The IRGC Navy says EL GAIA attempted to use a restricted route south of Hormuz and struck naval mines. | CENTCOM directly rejects the mine explanation. | No publicly available independent determination has established a mine strike. |
| U.S. Explanation | CLAIMED Drone Strike | Oman describes the ship as having been targeted but has not publicly identified the attacker. | Iran rejects the U.S. version and attributes the casualty to mines. | CENTCOM says an Iranian missile disabled EL GAIA previously and an Iranian drone struck it again over the weekend. | This attribution has not been independently adopted by Oman or Panama. |
| AIS / Navigation | LIMITED VISIBILITY AIS Gap Reported | Official Omani and Panamanian statements do not make AIS transmission central to their account. | Iran says the ship was operating in a prohibited or hazardous route. | CENTCOM says the vessel was already inoperable in waters off Oman. | Maritime reporting indicates EL GAIA had not been broadcasting a recent public AIS position, making open-source reconstruction more difficult. |
| Vessel Recovery | UNDER TOW Omani Port | Oman says authorities are monitoring the towing operation toward a port in the Sultanate. | No conflicting tow destination has been publicly established. | CENTCOM said a regional partner was towing the tanker. | The statements are broadly consistent that regional authorities have taken control of the disabled ship. |
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