ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - India condemned an attack on a Panama-flagged tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday that injured 12 crew members, including 11 Indian nationals, as attacks on commercial vessels continue to rise in the strategic waterway.
“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 Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, noting injuries of 12 out of 19 crew members.
The attack comes as the Strait of Hormuz has witnessed a sharp escalation in threats to commercial shipping amid the broader US-Israeli conflict with Iran and Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported at least nine incidents since the beginning of October. At least three resulted in a fire and three were crude oil tankers, according to the reports.
Since the war broke out in late February, Iran has sought to assert control over the vital shipping lane for Gulf oil and gas, at times striking vessels it accuses of failing to coordinate with its authorities or deviating from routes it has designated.
India said that Tuesday's incident underscored its growing concern over attacks on commercial shipping in the region, calling for an immediate halt to such incidents.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Monday that its forces had redirected their 130th commercial vessel in the region as part of the blockade, while also reporting that 13 commercial vessels had been destroyed for allegedly violating the blockade or being linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) “multi-billion-dollar shadow network.”
CENTCOM said three other vessels had been disabled.
“The U.S. military remains intensely focused on this mission,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said. “We will swiftly act against any vessels trying to run the blockade. Our forces are highly trained, professional, and lethal.”
The latest tanker attack also follows two incidents involving commercial vessels in the Strait within a 24-hour period, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). A third tanker reportedly avoided an attack after complying with instructions from the IRGC.
In a weekly overview published Thursday, UKMTO said commercial vessels continued to face attacks along the southern route near Oman, with ongoing military activity keeping the threat to shipping at an elevated level.
The maritime monitor said 48 projectile strikes had been reported since early July, including 31 along the southern Omani route. Twenty-five of those incidents involved damage to vessels’ engine rooms.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, carried about one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows before the US-Israeli aerial campaign against Iran began in late February. Its disruption has since become one of the most consequential flashpoints in the conflict, raising concerns over the safety of seafarers and the continuity of international energy and commercial traffic.
