Oman says 23 rescued, one missing after vessel attacked off its coast

Oman said Sunday it had rescued 23 crew members from a commercial ship after the vessel was attacked off the Gulf sultanate's eastern coast. One crew member remains missing. The vessel was struck during exchanges of fire between Iran and the United States.

What happened to the vessel attacked off Oman?

Oman's Maritime Security Centre rescued 23 crew members and provided them with medical care after their ship was struck off Musandam Governorate. Search operations are continuing for one crew member who remains missing. The vessel, the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy, sent a distress call 4.4 nautical miles off Oman's coast.

Who attacked the ship off Oman's coast?

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room. It accused Tehran of carrying out the attack. The strike came as Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors in retaliation for new U.S. strikes.

British maritime agency UKMTO said the crew had abandoned ship and were on a lifeboat around 17 kilometers east of Oman. India's foreign ministry said 10 of the 11 Indian nationals on board had been rescued, with one still missing.

How has India responded to the attack?

India's foreign ministry called the attacks on commercial shipping in the region "deeply worrisome." It said the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end. The ministry added that free and unimpeded navigation through the region's international waterways must be restored as soon as possible, in line with international law.

What does the attack mean for the wider Iran-U.S. conflict?

The exchange of fire threatens an interim agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war. That war began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, including one that killed former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Sunday's attack marks a fresh escalation in a conflict that has repeatedly drawn in commercial shipping in the Gulf.