Two foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian crew were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with no injuries reported in the first incident, Hindustan Times reported, citing a report by the Directorate of Maritime Administration.
The Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT Basrah Energy was reportedly hit by a projectile in the funnel area while sailing eastbound, just outside the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessel suffered no significant damage, and all crew members were safe. It later arrived at Fujairah anchorage with 22 crew members on board, including 14 Indian nationals, the HT report said.
Another vessel, the Togo-flagged oil product tanker Trend, was reportedly attacked by a drone near Khasab Port in Oman on Thursday. Further details about the incident were not immediately available.
153 Indian seafarers remain in Persian Gulf
A total of 10 vessels of Indian interest remain in the Persian Gulf, west of the Strait, and have been identified for evacuation, the HT report said.
The latest attacks come amid continued security risks for commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. The heightened risks have prompted some shipping operators and oil traders to explore alternative arrangements, including ship-to-ship transfers off Oman, to limit vessels’ exposure to the Strait. Saudi Arabia has also been offering more crude cargoes to Asian refiners through such transfers off Sohar port to offset some of the disruption to its oil exports.
The US and Iran have held no peace talks since an interim agreement reached in June collapsed within weeks. The war will come up for discussion at the United Nations General Assembly next week, and an Iranian delegation will be able to attend, according to the US State Department, reported Reuters.
