Three ships attacked in the Gulf of Persia, 44 Indians on board
Indian sailors caught in the West Asia crisis as three ships were attacked in two days. All sailors are safe.
The ongoing military conflict in West Asia is increasingly becoming a serious threat to maritime trade and Indian sailors. According to a report prepared by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) , three foreign-flagged ships were attacked on September 8 and 9. A total of 44 Indian sailors were aboard these ships. Fortunately, all crew members are safe and have been located.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Zimbabwe-flagged crude oil tanker ‘Riesco’ was attacked around 11 PM on September 8 in the Gulf of Oman by U.S. naval forces. However, all personnel aboard had already evacuated the ship before the attack due to the deteriorating security situation in the area. They had reached a safe haven established at a port in Iran. All 21 crew members on this ship were Indian.
On the same day, around 11:30 PM, an attack was reported on the Palau-flagged LPG carrier ‘Horizon 1’ in the outer port limit area of Khor Fakkan. The ship's owner and technical manager, KBT Ship Management, confirmed that all 16 people aboard were safely rescued by another passing vessel.
The crew included 14 Indians and two citizens of Georgia. There have been no reports of any sailor being injured.
The third incident occurred on September 9 near Fujairah. A projectile, either a missile or another type of explosive weapon, was reported to have fallen on the Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker ‘Mersin Prosperity’. Seven Indian sailors were aboard the ship. The report stated that all crew members are safe and have been located. The Directorate General of Maritime Administration's report indicates that,
there are currently six Indian-flagged and eight foreign-flagged vessels associated with Indian interests in the Persian Gulf, west of Hormuz. A total of 173 Indian sailors are aboard these 14 vessels.
Additionally, a total of 10 Indian-flagged and foreign-flagged vessels heading towards India are still stranded in the Persian Gulf. They have been marked for evacuation operations. However, the ongoing military actions, missile and drone attacks, and the uncertain situation of maritime routes have made it challenging to safely evacuate these vessels.
According to the DGMA report, four incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels have been reported since the outbreak of war in West Asia. Meanwhile, 50 incidents related to foreign-flagged vessels with Indian crews have been recorded. This figure indicates that the crisis for Indian sailors is not limited to ships registered in India. A large number of Indian nationals work on foreign companies and foreign-flagged commercial vessels.
According to an AP report,
attacks on vessels with Indian sailors are not new. In December 2023, a drone attack occurred on the Liberia-flagged chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto about 200 kilometers off the coast of Veraval, Gujarat. The ship was coming to India from Saudi Arabia. The attack caused a fire on the ship and structural damage, but all crew members, including Indians, were safe. The Indian Navy had sent aircraft and warships to assist.
In January 2024, a missile attack occurred on the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden. There were 22 Indian sailors and one Bangladeshi sailor on board. Following the attack, a massive fire broke out on the ship. The team from the Indian Navy's warship INS Visakhapatnam reached the site to help extinguish the fire and rescue the crew.
In April 2024, the Portugal-flagged container ship MSC Aries was taken under control by Iran's Revolutionary Guards near the Strait of Hormuz. Among the 25 people on board, 17 were Indian nationals. India had to engage in lengthy diplomatic negotiations with Iranian authorities for the safety and release of the crew.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. A significant portion of the crude oil and LPG exported from Gulf countries passes through this narrow maritime route. India is heavily dependent on the Gulf region for its energy needs. Therefore, disruptions in maritime traffic here can affect not only the safety of Indian sailors but also the country's oil and gas supply, freight costs, and inflation.
Following the recent attacks, Indian authorities face a dual challenge, especially to safely evacuate Indian sailors present in the Persian Gulf and to keep the maritime routes related to the country's energy supply operational.