Haredi Journalist Reports From Hormuz Strait Amid Iran-US Tensions

Haredi journalist Yitzhak Horowitz traveled to Oman's Musandam Peninsula, approximately 40 kilometers from Iran's coast, to report on the heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Horowitz, a correspondent for "BeKehila" newspaper and the American "Ami" magazine, sailed into the strait from the Omani enclave, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas, now under heavy security.

Locals in Musandam shared accounts with Horowitz of increased smuggling activities and military presence. A kiosk owner described goats being smuggled from Iran via speedboats, and electronic equipment being moved from Dubai to Iran, with livestock returning. He also mentioned Iranian drones falling on a nearby mountain and bombs hitting ships, though the city itself remained quiet.

Horowitz found a local captain named Younes willing to take him into the strait. During the voyage, they observed large oil tankers waiting near the coast during daylight hours, reportedly to avoid potential attacks and sea mines by crossing under the cover of darkness. Younes recounted witnessing a recent attack where a drone struck a Panama-flagged tanker, resulting in one fatality and the rest of the crew being rescued. He identified the tanker as Iranian and involved in oil smuggling.

Horowitz's full report, including photographs from his journey through the Strait of Hormuz, is published in the extended holiday issue of "BeKehila."