Twelve seafarers were hurt when a Panama-flagged oil tanker was hit by a projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by India's Ministry of External Affairs. This incident is one of the most serious in recent attacks on commercial shipping.
The tanker involved is the On Peace (IMO 9893204), an Aframax vessel with a crew of 19, including 17 Indian sailors. Out of the 12 injured crew members, 11 are Indians.
The injured sailors were evacuated with help from Omani authorities and taken to Khasab for medical treatment, according to India's foreign ministry on Tuesday.
“The ongoing attacks on shipping in the region are very concerning for India,” the ministry stated, urging an immediate halt to attacks on commercial ships, seafarers, and civilian infrastructure.
India did not specify who was responsible for the attack.
This incident seems linked to a previous attack noted on Monday by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, although the connection has not been officially confirmed.
According to UKMTO Warning 156-26, the captain of an unnamed tanker reported being hit by an unknown projectile at 1637 UTC on October 5 while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The impact caused a fire in the engine room, which the crew was still battling when the warning was issued. Initially, UKMTO reported no injuries or environmental damage.
Another UKMTO Warning 157-26 pertains to a different attack on October 5, involving an outbound oil tanker hit by an unknown projectile, but this incident was reported later and no injuries were disclosed.
The On Peace is additionally notable because it appears on a blacklist from Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which accused listed ships of breaching Iranian transit rules in the Strait. The authority has threatened these vessels with restrictions such as fines, detention, or confiscation.
These casualties come amid a significant rise in attacks around Hormuz. UKMTO issued four attack warnings and a separate advisory on Monday related to incidents that started on October 3, including assaults on crude oil and LPG tankers, as well as an instance where Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ordered an incoming tanker to turn back or face attack.
India emphasized that the recent violence highlights the increasing danger to merchant crews. “The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, and civilian infrastructure in the region must stop,” said the foreign ministry, adding that navigation and trade through international waters should be restored “as soon as possible.”