An Indian national has died in an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, according to the country’s state media.
An Indian national has died in an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, according to the country’s state media.
The Omani News Agency (ONA) on Monday reported that a drone boat struck a Marshall Islands‑flagged tanker, MKD Vyom, around 52 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. The attack caused a fire in the ship’s engine room and the Indian national died in the fire.
The ONA did not say who carried out the attack.
The report said the authorities rescued the tanker’s crew of 21 members —including 16 Indian nationals, four Bangladeshi nationals, and one Ukrainian national— in coordination with another ship.
The report did not identify the deceased. The Indian government has not yet responded to the development.
Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday and triggered the ongoing war, this is at least the second instance of an oil tanker being attacked close to Oman. Earlier, Oman on Sunday said an oil tanker, Skylight, was attacked around 5 nautical miles off Oman’s Khasab Port. It did not identify the attacker.
For a long time, there have been fears that Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz in any conflict with the United States or Israel. Previously, following the October 7 attack, Iran-backed Yemen-based Houthi rebels had choked the Red Sea with frequent attacks and disrupted the waterway that witnesses around 12 per cent of global maritime trade and 30 per cent container volume.
The Strait of Hormuz, where these attacks have taken place, is central to world trade as it handles around 25 per cent of all seaborne oil trade and 20 per cent of all liquid natural gas (LNG) trade. Saudi Arabia is the top user of the strait, with the waterway accounting for 38 per cent of its oil exports.
As there is no real alternative to the strait, there are concerns that any Iranian attempt to blockade it or deny transit could be damning for world trade, leading to high oil prices and shortages — particularly in Asia, as India, China, and Japan are the main destinations for oil transiting through the waterway.
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