An audio recording said to be from the Sanmar Herald, one of the two Indian tankers that came under fire by the Iranian navy north of Oman, has emerged.
An official from the tanker can be heard telling the Iranian Navy that it was firing on the Indian-flagged ship, even though it had given it permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The audio recording was released by TankerTrackers.com. In a statement on X, TankerTrackers said such recordings are making their way around the maritime world, usually via WhatsApp. TankerTrackers said it has verified that the Sanmar Herald’s AIS movements confirm the timing of this sound.
Read also | Two Indian ships allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran-US war
The sailor from the ship can be heard saying in the audio recording: “Sepah Navy! Sepah Navy! This is the Motor Vessel Sanmar Herald. You have given me permission to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back.”
The Iranian Navy fired on two Indian ships – the Jag Arnav and the Sanmar Herald – in contradiction to Tehran’s previous statements that countries not involved in the conflict with the US and Israel would not be targeted.
Jag Arnav is an Indian-flagged bulk carrier that travels from Jubail, Saudi Arabia to India, according to Marine Traffic.
Meanwhile, the ship Sanmar Herald was carrying crude oil from Iraq to India.
