Oman announces online classes for schools due to regional tensions

Muscat: The Ministry of Education in Oman on Monday announced that schools in Musandam Governorate will shift to online learning due to the prevailing regional situation.

“Due to the current developments in the region, all schools in Musandam Governorate will operate remotely until the end of the week,” the ministry said.

“In order to ensure the safety of our students and staff, all schools in the governorate will operate remotely until the end of the week. We will continue to assess the situation and keep you updated on any developments,” the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, an oil tanker was struck on Sunday off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, injuring four people, the Oman Maritime Security Centre said, without specifying the cause of the incident.

The attack followed earlier drone strikes in the Gulf country, including at the commercial port of Duqm on the Arabian Sea.

The incidents mark the first time targets in or near Oman have been hit following a wave of retaliatory strikes by Tehran on Gulf states after joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, escalating tensions in the region.

The 20-member crew of the tanker Skylight was evacuated after the attack, which occurred about five nautical miles north of Khasab Port on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the maritime security centre said in a post on X.

Initial reports indicated that four crew members sustained injuries of varying severity. The crew comprised 15 Indian and five Iranian nationals.

In December 2025, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Red Sea Ship Management and the vessel Skylight, among others, alleging that the company and its owner operated a “shadow fleet” to transport Iranian petroleum products in the Gulf.

Musandam shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, a vital strategic chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passes.

Earlier on Sunday, Oman’s state news agency reported that Duqm’s commercial port was hit by two drones, injuring one expatriate worker.

Debris from another drone fell near fuel storage tanks at Duqm, but no casualties or material damage were reported in that incident.

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has urged fishermen and owners of tourist boats in the vicinity of Musandam Governorate to refrain from going to sea until further notice.