BAKU, Azerbaijan,
March 2. An oil tanker navigating the waters off
Muscat, Oman, was targeted in an attack amid escalating tensions in
the Middle East, resulting in the loss of one life, the statement
of the Oman Maritime Security Center says, Trend reports.


According to the statement, as a result of the attack, an
explosion and a fire also broke out on the ship.


"The MKD VYOm oil tanker, sailing under the flag of the Marshall
Islands, was attacked by an autonomous water vehicle 52 nautical
miles off the coast of Muscat. The tanker was carrying
approximately 59,463 tons of cargo," the statement noted.


The person who died as a result of the incident is a crew member
who is an Indian citizen, the statement added.


Following the 2nd round of nuclear talks between Washington and
Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S.
increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150
aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.







The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between
Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the
administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations
were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically.
However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt
uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept
indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its
airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister
Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.


In a significant escalation, military airstrikes conducted by
Israel and the United States the previous day have reportedly
resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei
and several members of his family.


Additionally, several of Iran’s most senior military and
security officials were killed in the airstrikes, including Chief
of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme
Leader adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, and
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.


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