Muscat, Oman – Reuters reported on Saturday that the global container shipping group Maersk has decided to suspend all operations at Oman’s Salalah port for approximately 48 hours. This precautionary measure follows a security incident that occurred early Saturday morning, raising serious concerns about the safety of navigation in this vital waterway on the Arabian Sea.
Details of the attack and casualties
The port of Salalah was directly targeted by two drones early Saturday morning.
According to the Oman News Agency, the attack resulted in moderate injuries to one worker and minor material damage to a crane within the port area. Security forces and technical teams rushed to the scene to secure the area and assess the extent of the damage.
Official condemnations and security measures
For its part, the Sultanate of Oman swiftly condemned the attack, describing it as a “barbaric act,” and stressed in an official statement that it is taking all necessary measures to protect the country’s security, vital installations, and citizens.
The attack comes amid an unprecedented regional escalation. The direct military confrontation between Israel and the United States on one side, and Iran on the other, has entered its 29th consecutive day.
explosive regional context
These developments coincide with the widening scope of the conflict in the region, particularly after Lebanon officially entered the war on March 2nd.
The port of Salalah is a global logistics hub, making its targeting and the suspension of operations by major shipping companies a blow to the stability of international supply chains. Shipping and economic experts are closely monitoring the repercussions of this disruption. This monitoring comes amid fears that historically stable ports could become new arenas for settling major regional scores.
