Oil infrastructure hit in Oman, UAE as Iran presses on with strikes

Published 03 Mar, 2026 11:10pm
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A representational image. Reuters file
A representational image. Reuters file

Drones struck a fuel tank in Oman on Tuesday, while in the UAE, an oil storage zone was hit, as Iran pursued its campaign against the Gulf economy in response to US and Israeli strikes.

The attacks came after Iran widened its targets to include infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar — where the state-run energy firm suspended LNG production, sending European energy prices skyrocketing.

Several drones also targeted the port of Duqm on Oman’s eastern coast, according to a security source quoted by the official Oman News Agency.

“The resulting damage was contained without any human casualties,” the report said.

The Oman attack is the second on the port in three days, with the sultanate targeted despite acting as a mediator between Iran and the United States just days prior to the war.

On Sunday, a worker was injured when two drones struck the same port. One hit accommodation for workers, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, the Oman News Agency said.

They were the first attacks on the sultanate since war broke out.

In the United Arab Emirates, falling debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at an oil storage and trading zone in the emirate of Fujairah on Tuesday, authorities said.

“No injuries were reported, the fire was brought under control and normal operations in the area have resumed,” the Fujairah Media Office said.

Iran’s attacks have widened to include energy facilities, despite Tehran claiming it is targeting US assets.

QatarEnergy, one of the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, suspended production due to drone strikes against two of its sites on Monday.

Also on Monday, a drone struck a fuel tank terminal in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, causing a fire, though operations were not impacted.

An oil tanker was also hit off the coast of Oman on the same day, killing one person in a blast in the vessel’s main engine room.

A source close to the Saudi government told AFP that a “concerted” Iranian attack on oil facilities could trigger a military response from Riyadh.

The warning followed a drone strike at state oil giant Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery — one of the region’s biggest — which forced it to halt some operations.

“It depends if this is seen as a direct attack on Aramco by the Iranian leadership or a rogue drone,” the source told AFP.

Saudi Arabia would target “Iranian oil facilities if Iran mounts a concerted attack on Aramco”, the source said.

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