Indian Seafarers Caught in Twin Attacks Near Strait of Hormuz and Black Sea

New Delhi has confirmed that one of its citizens was killed after a commercial vessel came under attack in the Black Sea, while a separate incident saw 28 Indian crew members targeted aboard a gas tanker in Iranian waters underscoring the growing danger to international shipping amid overlapping conflicts.

India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the Black Sea strike, identifying the vessel as the MV Omorfi, which carried three Indian nationals. The ministry said the ship was hit on July 18 while transiting the Black Sea, in what were reportedly Russian territorial waters. It unequivocally condemned attacks targeting commercial shipping that put civilian crew at risk, calling it deeply troubling that freedom of navigation and international trade face mounting threats. New Delhi has since summoned Russia's ambassador to register its protest.

On the same day, a Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker named Disha, carrying 28 Indian crew, was struck near the Strait of Hormuz while heading toward the Gulf. According to India's embassy in Tehran and the Forward Seamen's Union of India, the vessel was hit by an unidentified missile, but all crew members survived and the embassy remains in contact with local authorities.

In a related but separate development, Iranian state media reported that a US missile strike hit a different LPG tanker approaching the Strait of Hormuz, killing two crew members. Iranian sources allege the tanker was mistakenly targeted on suspicion of carrying Iranian gas. Washington has not commented on the claim, and it remains unclear whether this is the same vessel involved in the incident affecting Indian sailors or an entirely separate ship.

Indian officials say six of its nationals have now been killed or gone missing across the Middle East since the US-Iran conflict escalated. The Strait of Hormuz through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil once passed before the crisis has seen a sharp rise in attacks since a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed in early July, reigniting cross-strikes and further disrupting maritime trade.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.

International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP

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Sources:
TRT Afrika Hausa, "An kai wa ma'aikatan jiragen ruwan India hari kusa da mashigar Hormuz," https://www.trtafrika.com/hausa/article/c129db9927a3

TRT World, "Indian seafarers come under attack near Strait of Hormuz," https://www.trtworld.com/article/d74dd7f08eb8

Gulf News, "India Condemns Black Sea Ship Attack After Indian Seafarer Killed, Summons Russian Envoy," https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/world/asia/india/india-says-citizen-killed-in-black-sea-ship-attack-1.500619359