Two sailors remain missing and 23 have been rescued after the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was attacked near Oman’s Musandam peninsula, while the US military said it destroyed two Iranian small boats that attempted to seize a US unmanned surface vessel. The incidents add to a confrontation that began with US strikes on February 28, 2026, and has sharply reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about 20 million barrels of oil daily, or roughly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. By mid-September, average daily transits had fallen to about three vessels from approximately 74 before the crisis, while war-risk insurance premiums rose about 15 times and Brent crude traded near $101 to $102 per barrel. Accounts of the El Gaia incident conflict: Oman said the vessel caught fire in its engine room and was being towed to port after being targeted 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 kilometers) north of Musandam; Iran said it struck naval mines on a restricted route; and the US said it was hit by an Iranian missile last month and a drone over the weekend. The IMO said at least 22 seafarers had died in 79 confirmed incidents across the strait and the wider Middle East since the war began.