Muscat, July 14 (SANA)Oman on Tuesday called for respect for international law and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after a series of attacks on commercial shipping heightened security concerns in the strategically important waterway.

In a statement posted on X, Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the sultanate was continuing to work impartially with all parties involved in maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as part of efforts to restore the free flow of shipping in accordance with international law.

The ministry reaffirmed Oman’s commitment to its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and urged all parties to uphold international law to safeguard the security, stability and freedom of navigation through the strait.

Separately, Norwegian shipping company Stolt-Nielsen said its chemical tanker Stolt Magnesite sustained damage after an explosion caused by an unidentified external object in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman, triggering a fire in the vessel’s engine room. The company said all crew members were safe and no injuries were reported.

The incident came hours after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that a commercial tanker had come under missile attack near Oman’s eastern coast.

Earlier on Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates said two of its national tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters. The attack killed one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa and injured eight others.

Amid the deteriorating security situation, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised airlines to avoid flying over the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as parts of the Gulf of Oman, citing heightened risks to civil aviation.

The latest incidents underscore growing concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, through which a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passes. Escalating military tensions in the Gulf have raised fears of further disruptions to international shipping and energy markets.F.J./ABD