Image for representation purposes only An explosion was heard close to an oil products tanker around 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab in Oman at around 4:37 am on Monday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency has released a picture of the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Velos Amber, with its aft section on fire. Fortunately, the crew members were evacuated and are safe. After the incident, UKMTO warned ships to transit the waters with caution and report any suspicious activity to the authorities. Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched to identify who was behind the attack. The tanker was last tracked approaching the Hormuz Strait through the U.S designated shipping lane along the Omani shore, before its AIS signal went offline. The incident comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations between Iran and Oman are ongoing regarding the management of Hormuz. He updated the Cabinet about the discussions held with Oman and said that the talks are ‘in their final stages’, without giving more details. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told media, “We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides, neither the northern route nor the southern route, but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security.” The dispute over the right to transit the waterway led to strikes last month, after Iran prevented ships from sailing along the coast of Oman and instructed vessels to use the Iranian-designated routes. On the other hand, U.S President Donald Trump confirmed that discussions with Iran are ongoing through intermediaries and are scheduled to commence on Monday afternoon. Trump added that diplomatic talks with Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar led him to halt what he called ‘a massive attack’ on Iran on Friday. He also added that a deal regarding the