OMAN: Iran has attacked ship navigation systems on the Omani island of Didamar in the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed, showing Tehran’s ability to target infrastructure used to restore Persian Gulf oil flows.
The three sources did not provide a damage assessment and Reuters could not determine independently if any navigation systems were destroyed in the attacks that Tehran had claimed on Tuesday.
Gulf exporters have been increasingly using workarounds to increase oil flows via Hormuz, such as ship-to-ship transfers (STS) off the coast of Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Two shipping industry sources and an additional maritime security source said the attacks on Didmar Island are likely to have a limited effect on commercial shipping traffic in the strait, because backup systems are available at other locations.
The US military has been aiding commercial vessels transiting the Strait after Iranian attacks disrupted traffic since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February.
The attacks on Didamar island would likely have limited impact on commercial shipping in the strait, two other shipping sources and an additional maritime security source said. One said that was because other systems were in place elsewhere.
Source: Reuters
