Overview
- Multiple outlets reported an explosion near the single-buoy mooring berths at Mina al Fahal that forced a halt to crude loading, according to unnamed sources and Reuters on Friday.
- Omani state agencies later said operations at the Mina al Fahal terminal were running normally, leaving the duration and scale of any suspension unclear.
- Videos and regional reports have circulated showing a drone strike and a fire at the loading facilities, but officials have not confirmed the cause or identified a perpetrator.
- Mina al Fahal handles roughly 800,000 to 900,000 barrels per day for export to Asian markets, so any sustained disruption could tighten near-term supply and push oil prices higher.
- The incident expands the geographic risk beyond the Strait of Hormuz into open-ocean terminals and could undercut Oman's role as a back-channel mediator between Washington and Tehran.