Iran is carrying out what analysts describe as “indiscriminate” attacks on commercial shipping across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf, following U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.

Windward reported that the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was struck as the conflict entered its second day. The vessel had Iranian nationals among its crew and documented ties to Iran-linked operators.

“Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial — not precision targeting — aimed at demonstrating Iran’s capability to disrupt the strait and deter commercial shipping,” Windward said Monday.

Iran has been retaliating with missile and drone attacks against U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—which links the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf—represents the world’s most critical energy corridor.

The UKMTO Operation Centre later confirmed attacks on multiple vessels and warned of heightened military activity across the Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, North Arabian Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Skylight had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2025 for transporting Iranian petroleum products. It was operated by a UAE-based company with documented links to Iranian defense front firms. The tanker had been anchored since Feb. 22 and carried 20 crew members—15 Indians and five Iranians.

“The Skylight anomaly—striking a vessel with Iranian crew, Iranian operational ties, and active OFAC sanctions—is the single strongest piece of evidence against deliberate targeting by affiliation,” Windward said.

Reuters reported March 1 that the Palau-flagged tanker was hit off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in the Gulf of Oman, injuring four people.