7 Indian vessels with 148 seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf amid Hormuz crisis
Seven Indian-flagged vessels with 148 Indian seafarers have remained inside the Persian Gulf amid renewed US-Iran fighting. The escalation has followed deadly tanker strikes and deepened risks to commercial shipping.
Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, seven Indian-flagged vessels carrying 148 Indian seafarers remain inside the Persian Gulf as fresh fighting between the United States and Iran threatens commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to news agency PTI, government officials said the vessels were already positioned on the western side of the strait before the latest round of military escalation began. Like the initial phase of the West Asia conflict earlier this year, the ships are expected to remain inside the Gulf until the security situation improves.
"About 148 seafarers are onboard the seven Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. And given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now," a government official told PTI.
Five of the seven Indian-flagged ships are engaged in commercial operations in the region.
It comes as fresh missile attacks on commercial vessels have once again turned one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into a conflict zone. The renewed violence has also cast fresh doubts over the fragile peace arrangement reached between Washington and Tehran in June.
DEADLY ATTACK ON TANKERS
The situation worsened after missiles struck two Emirati oil tankers, MT Al Bahyah and MT Mombasa B, while they were passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels were sailing through the southern shipping lane within Omani territorial waters when they came under attack.
An Indian seafarer aboard MT Al Bahyah was killed in the strike, according to government officials. The attack also left several other crew members injured.
MT Al Bahyah was carrying 23 crew members, including 12 Indians, six Filipinos, three Russians, one Egyptian and one Sri Lankan.
MT Mombasa B also had a crew of 23, including 17 Indians, three Ukrainians and three Georgians.
The latest attack came just two days after the Cyprus-flagged container vessel GFS Galaxy was hit in an Iranian strike. One Indian crew member on board that vessel remains missing, while other crew members were rescued.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting the tankers.
The IRGC said the vessels had "ignored repeated warnings" before being "targeted and disabled". It also accused Washington of "inciting vessels to use an illegal route".
RISING TOLL ON INDIAN SEAFARERS
The latest casualty has pushed the human cost of the conflict for Indians even higher.
PTI reports that government figures show 14 Indian nationals have lost their lives since the conflict expanded across the Gulf region. Officials have also reported three Indians missing during the same period.
The deaths have come in separate attacks involving commercial vessels operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Last month, three Indian sailors were also killed when the US struck the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello.
The government has been monitoring every incident involving Indian-flagged ships as well as foreign vessels carrying Indian crew members. Officials are maintaining close coordination with the Indian Navy while remaining in constant touch with shipping companies and the families of affected seafarers.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important maritime routes. A significant share of global oil and gas exports passes through the narrow waterway every day.
Government officials said a wider group of 11 vessels of Indian interest has also been identified. These include Indian-flagged ships and foreign-flagged vessels carrying cargo meant for India. Four of these ships are transporting fertilisers.
Since the conflict erupted at the end of February, dozens of vessels carrying India-bound cargo have continued to transit the strait despite repeated security concerns.
US-IRAN PEACE DEAL UNDER FRESH STRAIN
The latest escalation has raised fresh questions about the future of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June.
The agreement had temporarily reduced tensions and allowed commercial shipping to resume with fewer disruptions after months of conflict.
That fragile calm has now collapsed.
Iran announced over the weekend that it was once again closing the Strait of Hormuz following renewed hostilities.
US President Donald Trump responded by declaring that the waterway would remain open and announced the return of the blockade targeting Iranian shipping.
He also said American forces would serve as "the guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and proposed 20 per cent fee on all cargo passing through the strait.
"We're going to get paid for guarding it," Trump said. "A lot of money, but we just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this, for putting our people in danger."
Iran rejected the proposal.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had always protected the strategic waterway and would continue to do so. Responding to Trump's proposal, he wrote, "20 per cent is of course too much. We will be fair."
The conflict intensified further on Tuesday as Iran launched ballistic missiles at a US air base in Jordan, while American forces carried out nearly five hours of strikes on Iranian targets in what has become a battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The fighting also rattled global energy markets. Brent crude futures climbed another 5 per cent on Tuesday to $87.49 a barrel, their highest level since June 12, though prices remained below the peaks seen during the early days of the conflict.
Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, seven Indian-flagged vessels carrying 148 Indian seafarers remain inside the Persian Gulf as fresh fighting between the United States and Iran threatens commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to news agency PTI, government officials said the vessels were already positioned on the western side of the strait before the latest round of military escalation began. Like the initial phase of the West Asia conflict earlier this year, the ships are expected to remain inside the Gulf until the security situation improves.
"About 148 seafarers are onboard the seven Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. And given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now," a government official told PTI.
Five of the seven Indian-flagged ships are engaged in commercial operations in the region.
It comes as fresh missile attacks on commercial vessels have once again turned one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into a conflict zone. The renewed violence has also cast fresh doubts over the fragile peace arrangement reached between Washington and Tehran in June.
DEADLY ATTACK ON TANKERS
The situation worsened after missiles struck two Emirati oil tankers, MT Al Bahyah and MT Mombasa B, while they were passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels were sailing through the southern shipping lane within Omani territorial waters when they came under attack.
An Indian seafarer aboard MT Al Bahyah was killed in the strike, according to government officials. The attack also left several other crew members injured.
MT Al Bahyah was carrying 23 crew members, including 12 Indians, six Filipinos, three Russians, one Egyptian and one Sri Lankan.
MT Mombasa B also had a crew of 23, including 17 Indians, three Ukrainians and three Georgians.
The latest attack came just two days after the Cyprus-flagged container vessel GFS Galaxy was hit in an Iranian strike. One Indian crew member on board that vessel remains missing, while other crew members were rescued.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting the tankers.
The IRGC said the vessels had "ignored repeated warnings" before being "targeted and disabled". It also accused Washington of "inciting vessels to use an illegal route".
RISING TOLL ON INDIAN SEAFARERS
The latest casualty has pushed the human cost of the conflict for Indians even higher.
PTI reports that government figures show 14 Indian nationals have lost their lives since the conflict expanded across the Gulf region. Officials have also reported three Indians missing during the same period.
The deaths have come in separate attacks involving commercial vessels operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Last month, three Indian sailors were also killed when the US struck the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello.
The government has been monitoring every incident involving Indian-flagged ships as well as foreign vessels carrying Indian crew members. Officials are maintaining close coordination with the Indian Navy while remaining in constant touch with shipping companies and the families of affected seafarers.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important maritime routes. A significant share of global oil and gas exports passes through the narrow waterway every day.
Government officials said a wider group of 11 vessels of Indian interest has also been identified. These include Indian-flagged ships and foreign-flagged vessels carrying cargo meant for India. Four of these ships are transporting fertilisers.
Since the conflict erupted at the end of February, dozens of vessels carrying India-bound cargo have continued to transit the strait despite repeated security concerns.
US-IRAN PEACE DEAL UNDER FRESH STRAIN
The latest escalation has raised fresh questions about the future of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June.
The agreement had temporarily reduced tensions and allowed commercial shipping to resume with fewer disruptions after months of conflict.
That fragile calm has now collapsed.
Iran announced over the weekend that it was once again closing the Strait of Hormuz following renewed hostilities.
US President Donald Trump responded by declaring that the waterway would remain open and announced the return of the blockade targeting Iranian shipping.
He also said American forces would serve as "the guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and proposed 20 per cent fee on all cargo passing through the strait.
"We're going to get paid for guarding it," Trump said. "A lot of money, but we just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this, for putting our people in danger."
Iran rejected the proposal.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had always protected the strategic waterway and would continue to do so. Responding to Trump's proposal, he wrote, "20 per cent is of course too much. We will be fair."
The conflict intensified further on Tuesday as Iran launched ballistic missiles at a US air base in Jordan, while American forces carried out nearly five hours of strikes on Iranian targets in what has become a battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The fighting also rattled global energy markets. Brent crude futures climbed another 5 per cent on Tuesday to $87.49 a barrel, their highest level since June 12, though prices remained below the peaks seen during the early days of the conflict.
