At least 15 sailors, many of them Indians, have been killed in attacks on commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.
The death toll, which reached 14 people in a United Nations report published last month, increased after the UAE confirmed the death of another sailor in an Iranian attack on an oil tanker. Track the latest updates about Iran and the United States here
The latest victim was an Indian sailor. The victim was reported after Iranian missiles hit two UAE oil tankers on Tuesday. The attack also injured six Indians and two Ukrainians, according to an AP report. India summoned the Deputy Head of the Iranian Mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, to protest the incident.
Forty-six attacks on commercial ships have been confirmed since the start of the war, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
When Indian sailors died in the shootout between the US and Iran
March 1 – The first reported Indian casualty came when the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MKD Fium was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, a day after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and assassinated their supreme leader.
One Indian crew member was killed. While no one claimed responsibility for the attack, the United States blamed Iranian forces for the attack. The International Maritime Organization later listed the ship among the confirmed fatal accidents.
March 1 Later the same day, the Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was attacked near the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. Two Indian sailors were reportedly killed. The incident occurred while Iran exchanged strikes with the United States and Israel.
May 8 On May 8, another Indian sailor lost his life after a wooden dhow carrying an Indian crew caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz.
June 9 – Three Indian sailors were killed after the US struck the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Setibelo off the coast of Oman.
US forces said the ship violated the blockade imposed on Iranian ports after warnings were ignored before the strike. The three victims were later identified as Aditya Sharma, a student, Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter, and Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer.
July 12 – The Cyprus-flagged merchant ship GFS Galaxy was attacked on Sunday off the coast of Oman with 11 Indian sailors on board. The Ministry of External Affairs said that 10 Indian nationals were rescued, while one sailor remained missing.
July 14 An Indian sailor was killed and eight crew members, including six Indians, were injured after Iranian cruise missiles hit the Emirati oil tankers Mombasa and Al Bahia as they were crossing the Strait of Hormuz in Omani waters.
The UAE said that fire broke out on the two tankers but was later extinguished. Four of the injured were seriously injured.
Why are Indians among the worst affected?
Nine India-linked tankers with an Indian crew of 198 remain stuck near the Strait of Hormuz after shipping traffic through the strategic checkpoint fell to its lowest level since the US-Iran memorandum of understanding came into effect last month, according to Bloomberg.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, handling about 20% of global oil trade. Thousands of commercial ships, including oil tankers, LPG tankers, container ships and bulk carriers, pass through the waterway every year. India also depends heavily on the Gulf for its energy imports.
The International Maritime Organization has repeatedly said that about 20,000 seafarers remain vulnerable to the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf and has asked all parties to protect civilian shipping and freedom of navigation.
