Indian seafarer hurt as projectile hits supertanker in Persian Gulf; three more Indians safe on Saudi tanker

An Indian seafarer was among four crew injured on Tuesday when a projectile hit the Liberia-flagged supertanker Fujairah Energy in the Persian Gulf, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Wednesday. A second ship, the Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Fajr, was reported attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday; all three Indians aboard are safe.

What the minister said

In a post on X, Sonowal said the Fujairah Energy, a very large crude carrier, was sailing from Al Ruwais to Dubai when it was struck. Twenty-two crew were aboard, six of them Indian. One Indian suffered minor injuries and was taken ashore for medical examination. “The remaining 18 crew members, including the other five Indian seafarers, are safe and accounted for,” he said.

The government is “continuously monitoring the situation” and is in close contact with the ship management company on the crew’s security, medical care and well-being, Sonowal said. The reports do not describe the injuries of the other three crew members or give their nationalities.

On the NCC Fajr, Sonowal described the incident as a “possible attack” and said all three Indian seafarers, and the rest of the crew, are safe. No time, position, damage or injuries have been reported for that vessel.

Who fired is not stated

None of the reports says who fired the projectile at the Fujairah Energy. The attack came on the same day that ADNOC Logistics & Services said one of its vessels was damaged in an attack in UAE territorial waters in the Gulf, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported another tanker incident in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on tankers that they said used “unauthorised routes”. On Sunday, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing the Guards’ navy, said three tankers were hit. Two senior Iranian officials have told reporters that Tehran has intensified attacks on vessels to keep oil prices high, though the objective cannot be independently established.

How the attacks have built up

The Gulf has been a war zone for shipping since the West Asia conflict began in February after US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Tallies cited by shipping reports show 37 ships were attacked in October, the highest monthly figure of the conflict, and at least 10 more in the first 11 days of November. The International Maritime Organization has documented 130 incidents in the region, with at least 25 seafarers killed.

Indian crews have paid a price. Last month we reported two Indian seafarers missing after tanker attacks off Oman. The Ministry of External Affairs said last week that 23 Indian nationals, including 15 seafarers, have died in the West Asia conflict, besides five Indian deaths in attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea region.

Government line

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday: “We continue to call for free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.” He said India is in touch with all concerned parties to prevent attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, including Indian-flagged vessels. New Delhi has urged a settlement through dialogue and diplomacy.

Why it matters to India

About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moved through Hormuz before the war, and India depends heavily on the route for crude. Indian seafarers make up roughly 10 to 12 per cent of the global maritime workforce, so every attack on merchant shipping puts Indian families at risk, whatever the flag of the ship. Our earlier report on Araghchi’s Hormuz offer and the tanker fires shows how little the diplomacy has done to slow the attacks.

The US continues to blockade Iranian ports, and a US aircraft recently disabled a St Kitts-flagged cargo vessel that had called at an Iranian port, according to US Central Command. Mediators including Qatar are trying to bring Washington and Tehran to a settlement, but diplomatic activity has not ended the confrontation at sea. Analysts at LSEG say restoring normal shipping would depend on mine clearance, insurance costs and shipowners’ willingness to return.

What next

The ship management company has not said whether the Fujairah Energy will continue its voyage or what damage it suffered. The shipping ministry has said it will keep tracking both vessels and the welfare of the nine Indian seafarers aboard. A fuller statement on the NCC Fajr, including whether it was actually hit, is awaited from the vessel’s operators and from maritime security agencies.