Urgent Alert: Two Tankers With Indian Crew Targeted Near Strait of Hormuz
Two foreign-flagged tankers carrying Indian crew members were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. All 22 crew members on the MT Basrah Energy are safe. Official details regarding the crew on the Trend remain pending.
- Two tankers with Indian crew targeted near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
- MT Basrah Energy reached Fujairah anchorage safely with its 14 Indian nationals.
- Togo-flagged Trend attacked by a drone near Oman and detained by Iran.
Attack on MT Basrah Energy
The Panama-flagged crude tanker MT Basrah Energy was struck by a projectile in its funnel area while sailing eastbound just outside the strait. All 22 crew members, including 14 Indian nationals, are safe, and the vessel has reached Fujairah anchorage in the UAE.
Incident Involving Tanker Trend
In a separate incident, the Togo-flagged products tanker Trend was attacked by a drone 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards subsequently claimed to have targeted and detained the vessel, alleging it made an illegal passage and experienced a fire on board. Official details regarding the crew list and injury status for the Trend remain pending.
Status of Indian Seafarers and Gulf Diaspora
Currently, 153 Indian seafarers remain on board six Indian-flagged and eight foreign-flagged ships of Indian interest located west of the Strait of Hormuz. Ten of these vessels are marked for evacuation. Commercial traffic through the strait has declined significantly, with only four cargo ships recorded on Thursday compared to a recent 10-day average of approximately 16. Previously, the MT El Gaia was struck off Oman, leaving one Indian oiler, Sumit Kumar Singh from Vaishali, missing after 13 of the 14 Indians on board were rescued. While the Indian Directorate of Maritime Administration has advised owners against deploying fresh Indian crew for Hormuz transits, existing personnel remain in the region. The diaspora population in the Gulf includes over 43 lakh in the UAE, 27 lakh in Saudi Arabia, 8.3 lakh in Qatar, 6.8 lakh in Oman, and 3.2 lakh in Bahrain. Families of seafarers have been advised to rely on Indian missions and the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra for verification regarding the 153 crew members currently inside the Gulf. Data regarding these incidents was sourced from the Directorate of Maritime Administration, IRNA/IRGC, UKMTO, and Reuters as of September 18, 2026.