Maersk suspends operations at Oman’s Salalah port after drone strike amid Iran war

Global shipping giant Maersk has suspended operations at the port of Salalah in Oman after a drone attack on an oil storage facility at a strategic transport hub, deepening fears of global trade disruptions as the conflict involving Iran escalates in the Gulf.

A Danish shipping group said it had suspended work at the port “until further notice” following what it described as an ongoing security incident near the cargo terminal. The move comes as fighting in the region continues to threaten major shipping lanes and energy infrastructure across the Middle East.

The port of Salalah, located on the southern coast of Oman, is one of the most important sea gateways in the region and was widely considered a relatively safe place for shipping companies seeking to avoid the growing risks around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

The port is at the critical point of the international trade routes that connect Southeast Asia with Europe, Africa and the Americas. Since opening in 1998 it has handled more than 50 million containers and more than 100 million metric tons of cargo, and recently completed a $300 million upgrade to its container terminal designed to increase capacity and efficiency.

Historically, Oman has developed a port location in a politically neutral country as a major advantage for international shipping operators. The country has long positioned itself as a diplomatic mediator in regional conflicts, maintaining working relationships with both Western governments and Iran.

However, the drone strike has now brought the conflict directly to Oman’s coast, raising fears that the war is spreading to new areas and threatening infrastructure that was previously considered vulnerable to fighting.

Izithombe eziphuma ethekwini zikhombise intuthu ewugqinsi ephuma ezindaweni zokugcina uphethiloli ngemuva kokuhlasela okudale umlilo emathangeni kawoyela. Omani authorities have confirmed that they are working to contain the fire but said that the flow of oil has not been interrupted.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting energy infrastructure and maritime assets in the Gulf region. Earlier this week, falling debris from a captured drone sparked a fire that destroyed storage infrastructure in Fujairah, the largest ship refueling facility in the United Arab Emirates.

Boxing was also directly affected. The Japanese-flagged ship One Majesty sustained minor damage after being hit by an unidentified projectile about 25 miles northwest of the UAE.

Maersk said the increasing volatility has forced it to adjust operations across its entire network. The company has confirmed that it will redistribute oil at sea to ensure that ships can continue to refuel and operate despite the growing disruption of storage facilities and fuel distribution infrastructure in the region.

A spokesperson for the company said these measures are designed to ensure that its global transport network can continue to operate.

“We are redistributing fuel to ensure ships can continue to dock where needed and keep our maritime network running without disruption,” the company said.

The conflict has left dozens of ships stranded across the Gulf. Maersk alone has ten ships stranded in the region, while industry estimates suggest around 100 container ships are unable to navigate important routes.

German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd also reported that many of its ships are still stuck in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate.

In response to the heightened risks, Maersk and other carriers have suspended several new cargo bookings to and from several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The escalation comes as Iran continues its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most dangerous maritime zones in the world’s energy system. About one-fifth of oil exports usually go through a narrow waterway, connecting the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Iran’s leadership has indicated it intends to maintain pressure on global shipping lanes as the conflict escalates. Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new leader, said this week that the Iranian military would continue to enforce traffic restrictions on the road.

Analysts believe that this strategy is designed to increase economic pressure on Western and Gulf countries by disrupting the flow of oil and commercial shipping.

Danny Citrinowicz, a fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former Israeli military intelligence officer working in Iran, said that Tehran is likely to escalate attacks on infrastructure.

“They will increase the level by focusing on more infrastructure,” he said. “The goal is to damage the economy and show that countries that support the war will face dire consequences.”

This attack has affected all member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Iraq, which has already been forced to close parts of the oil production infrastructure for security reasons.

Oman itself has taken precautionary measures by evacuating vessels from its key oil export port of Mina al Fahal while authorities assess the security situation.

Another Omani port, Duqm, 500 kilometers south of the capital Muscat, was also hit during the fighting.

Despite Iran’s aggressive strategy, Iranian officials have denied responsibility for the attack on Salalah. Tehran described Oman as a “friend and neighbor” and suggested the strike could have been carried out by other actors seeking to escalate the conflict and position Iran.

However, the escalation of attacks in many countries has raised fears among the world’s shipping companies that the war could choke two of the world’s most important sea passages.

In addition to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen have attacked ships in the Red Sea during the Gaza conflict. Analysts warn that they may resume such attacks if the conflict escalates.

If that happens at the same time as the closure of Hormuz, the global shipping industry could face unprecedented disruptions to both oil and container trade between Asia, Europe and the Americas.

For international networks already battered by political tensions and supply chain instability, the shutdown in Salalah underscores how quickly the conflict is spreading beyond traditional battlegrounds and the infrastructure that supports international trade.