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Middle East War: Iran, Oman propose temporary Hormuz shipping corridor

Iran and Oman propose a Hormuz shipping corridor as a tanker is struck near the waterway

Last updated: August 26, 2026 | 08:04

Karishma H. Nandkeolyar, Assistant Online Editor ; Surabhi Vasundharadevi, Social Media Reporter and Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor

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The UK Maritime Trade Operations (MTO) has reported that an oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman at 20:57 UTC on Aug. 24, (12:57 am Gulf Standard Time).

UKMTO

The Middle East war enters another day with Iran and Oman proposing a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and agreeing to work on clearing mines from the waterway. Technical negotiations are set to continue, and no temporary or permanent corridor has yet been established. Maritime security also remains a concern after an oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile near Oman, damaging its engine room and disabling the vessel. The crew was reported safe. Meanwhile, the US has begun returning diplomatic staff to some Middle East missions that were evacuated or downsized during the conflict. Follow along for the latest updates:

08:04 AM, 26 August 2026

Six months on, grief still raw for Iran school parents

For months, Masoumeh Zakeri has endlessly replayed the last night she spent with her nine-year-old daughter before she was killed in a strike on her school during the opening hours of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Six months on, a team of AFP journalists obtained rare access to the school which has remained largely in ruins, its collapsed walls and twisted steel now surrounded by portraits of the children killed as Iranian flags flutter above the rubble.

Iran says the attack on the school involved two separate US Tomahawk missiles but neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the strike.

Rights groups including Amnesty International blamed the United States while The New York Times has reported that the school was hit by a US Tomahawk cruise missile.

07:58 AM, 26 August 2026

Ship-to-ship transfers keep Gulf oil moving outside Hormuz as direct traffic hits multi-month low

Large volumes of oil from Gulf producers continue to reach global markets through ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman even as direct vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply suppressed, maritime tracking data showed early on Wednesday (Aug. 26). TankerTrackers reported at least 15 simultaneous ship-to-ship transfer operations underway in the Gulf of Oman involving roughly 25 million barrels of crude oil plus refined products. The cargoes originated from nearly every country in the region except Iran, according to the firm. A later update noted an additional set of transfers that included one Iranian LPG cargo.

07:54 AM, 26 August 2026