Drone strikes hit fuel storage tanks at Oman’s Port of Salalah on Wednesday, setting multiple tanks ablaze and forcing shipping giant Maersk to suspend all operations at the facility.
Omani air defenses intercepted several inbound drones, but others penetrated and struck the port’s fuel storage area, according to Oman’s civil defense. No casualties were reported. Oman News Agency, citing civil defense officials, stated that containing the fire “might take time.”
Breaking | After the failed attack targeting the port of Duqm, Oman, most likely Iranian drones struck oil storage tanks at the port of Salalah. At least three fuel tanks are now on fire, with thick smoke spreading across the port. The full extent of the damage is still unclear,… https://t.co/A5fwtPi36q pic.twitter.com/q5MQgiflI1
— Basha باشا (@BashaReport) March 11, 2026
Crew aboard a vessel in the port filmed the moment of impact, with video circulating on social media showing large fires engulfing what appears to be the tank farm at the port’s southern section. British maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed the strike and reported no damage to merchant vessels.
Maersk announced it had paused operations at Salalah “until further notice” following what it described as an ongoing incident near the general cargo terminal. An Omani energy ministry official stated that the attack had caused no disruption to oil supplies or petroleum derivatives in the country.
Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone Wednesday, expressing dissatisfaction and condemnation of attacks targeting Omani territory, Oman News Agency reported. Pezeshkian said the incident would be investigated, according to Iranian state media. Neither side explicitly attributed the strike to Iran during the call.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the attack, stating the bloc stands firmly with Oman in safeguarding its security, stability, and territorial integrity.
The strike marks the latest escalation in Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Gulf since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began February 28. Salalah, located on Oman’s southern coast along the Arabian Sea, had remained operational as a major transshipment hub even as Maersk suspended bookings at most other Gulf ports due to the conflict.
