Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: An Indian national was killed after Iran carried out overnight strikes on two oil tankers off the coast of Iraq, intensifying tensions in the Gulf region amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. The attack marks the first direct strike on oil tankers since Iran warned that no oil shipments would be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz during the war.
Attack On Two Oil Tankers Near Iraq Coast
According to reports, an Iranian suicide boat targeted the US-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Safesea Vishnu near the Khor Al Zubair port within Iraqi territorial waters. The identity of the Indian crew member killed in the attack has not yet been disclosed.
The remaining 27 crew members were rescued safely and taken to the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
Videos circulating on social media showed massive explosions and fires engulfing two vessels — the Maltese-flagged tanker Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu. The vessels were believed to be carrying nearly 400,000 barrels of Iraqi crude oil.
Ships Owned By US And Greek Companies
The tanker Safesea Vishnu is owned by US-based Safesea Transport Inc., while the Zefyros is operated by a Greece-based shipping company. Sources close to the Safesea company said they were deeply saddened by the death of the Indian crew member in the attack.
According to maritime tracking platform VesselFinder, Safesea Vishnu is a crude oil tanker built in 2007. The ship measures about 228.6 metres in length and 32.57 metres in width, with a gross tonnage of 42,010 and a deadweight capacity of 73,976 tonnes.
Rising Threat To Ships In Strait Of Hormuz
The attack is part of growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy routes through which nearly 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has repeatedly warned commercial vessels against entering the waterway and threatened attacks on ships attempting to cross it during the conflict.
Due to the escalating war, global crude oil prices have surged close to $120 per barrel — the highest level in about four years — amid fears of prolonged supply disruptions.
India Condemns Attacks On Commercial Vessels
India has strongly condemned recent attacks on commercial shipping in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to another incident involving a Thai-flagged cargo vessel, Mayuree Naree, which was reportedly hit by an Iranian projectile while heading toward Gujarat’s Kandla port.
The ministry said such attacks on commercial ships pose serious risks to global maritime safety. Iran’s IRGC later claimed responsibility, stating that the vessel had entered the Strait of Hormuz despite warnings.
