The Crossbill News Desk
India has condemned a fresh attack on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after a Panama-flagged vessel was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman on Tuesday (October 6), injuring 12 crew members, including 11 Indian nationals.
The MT On Peace, carrying 19 crew members, including 17 Indians, was transiting the strategic waterway when it came under attack, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The incident is the latest in a series of attacks and security alerts involving commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
“We condemn the attack earlier today on a Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace (IMO 9893204) off the coast of Oman, where it was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. There was no mention of any perpetrator behind the attack.
The MEA said the continuing attacks on shipping in the region were a “cause of deep concern” for India and reiterated its call for “an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region”.
“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and navigation and commerce through international waterways must be restored at the earliest,” it said.
The latest incident adds to the growing toll on Indian seafarers caught up in attacks on commercial shipping since the war began in February. Around a dozen Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz, while more than 20 others have been injured.
India has a significant number of nationals working aboard commercial vessels operating in the region. Last month, an MEA spokesperson said that over 4,500 Indian sailors were working on commercial vessels plying the Persian Gulf.
Tuesday’s attack came against the backdrop of a renewed series of incidents threatening maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, associated with the UK Navy, has issued multiple warnings of attacks on tankers since October 3, with several vessels reportedly struck by unidentified projectiles.
On October 5, the UKMTO reported that a tanker transiting the strait had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire in its engine room. The same day, it issued an advisory after a tanker was hailed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and instructed to turn back or face being targeted. The vessel complied with the instruction.
The UKMTO also recorded attacks on an LPG tanker and a crude oil tanker on October 4. Another crude oil tanker was reported to have been struck above the waterline on October 3. The agency has advised vessels to transit the waterway with caution and report suspicious activity.
The renewed attacks have raised fresh concerns over the fragile recovery of maritime traffic through the strait. Shipping activity had started to pick up after months of severe disruption following the US-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28. Oil flows through the region increased significantly in September, with crude and condensate exports from Gulf producers recovering to levels close to those before the war.
The recovery in maritime trade was supported by measures aimed at limiting exposure to attacks, including US military assistance, ship-to-ship transfers outside the most vulnerable sections of the waterway and greater reliance on pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest incidents, however, have once again exposed the vulnerability of vessels navigating the strategic passage. While none of the attacks has been officially attributed to Tehran, media reports have indicated that Iran has substantially improved its ability to target ships in recent weeks.
The MT On Peace, carrying 19 crew members, including 17 Indians, was transiting the strategic waterway when it came under attack, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The incident is the latest in a series of attacks and security alerts involving commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
“We condemn the attack earlier today on a Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace (IMO 9893204) off the coast of Oman, where it was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. There was no mention of any perpetrator behind the attack.
The MEA said the continuing attacks on shipping in the region were a “cause of deep concern” for India and reiterated its call for “an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region”.
“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and navigation and commerce through international waterways must be restored at the earliest,” it said.
The latest incident adds to the growing toll on Indian seafarers caught up in attacks on commercial shipping since the war began in February. Around a dozen Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz, while more than 20 others have been injured.
India has a significant number of nationals working aboard commercial vessels operating in the region. Last month, an MEA spokesperson said that over 4,500 Indian sailors were working on commercial vessels plying the Persian Gulf.
Tuesday’s attack came against the backdrop of a renewed series of incidents threatening maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, associated with the UK Navy, has issued multiple warnings of attacks on tankers since October 3, with several vessels reportedly struck by unidentified projectiles.
On October 5, the UKMTO reported that a tanker transiting the strait had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire in its engine room. The same day, it issued an advisory after a tanker was hailed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and instructed to turn back or face being targeted. The vessel complied with the instruction.
The UKMTO also recorded attacks on an LPG tanker and a crude oil tanker on October 4. Another crude oil tanker was reported to have been struck above the waterline on October 3. The agency has advised vessels to transit the waterway with caution and report suspicious activity.
The renewed attacks have raised fresh concerns over the fragile recovery of maritime traffic through the strait. Shipping activity had started to pick up after months of severe disruption following the US-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28. Oil flows through the region increased significantly in September, with crude and condensate exports from Gulf producers recovering to levels close to those before the war.
The recovery in maritime trade was supported by measures aimed at limiting exposure to attacks, including US military assistance, ship-to-ship transfers outside the most vulnerable sections of the waterway and greater reliance on pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest incidents, however, have once again exposed the vulnerability of vessels navigating the strategic passage. While none of the attacks has been officially attributed to Tehran, media reports have indicated that Iran has substantially improved its ability to target ships in recent weeks.
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