Hossein Royvaran, a Tehran-based analyst, says it is not yet clear why the tanker off the coast of Oman was targeted, noting that Iran has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
According to Al Jazeera, he suggested one explanation was that the vessel had strayed into an area where Iranian teams were engaged in mine-clearing operations.
“The area near Oman is likely full of mines,” he said. “There is a possibility that these ships headed in directions where Iranian teams in that area are clearing mines, and the ships’ movement might have threatened those teams,” he said.
