Overview
- A drone hit the Nicaragua-flagged MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage on October 11, rescuers saved nine Indian crew and two Indians remain missing while local coast guard search-and-rescue operations continue.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the strikes and the Embassy in Muscat is coordinating with Omani authorities and ship managers to locate the missing seafarers and support rescued crew.
- On the same day the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Valthera was struck by an unknown projectile and caught fire, but all 11 Indian crew on that ship were reported safe.
- Maritime monitors and the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center report a recent cluster of attacks, drone overflights and projectile strikes around the Strait of Hormuz that have raised security and insurance concerns for energy shipments.
- The incidents put merchant crews at greater risk, have prompted calls for de-escalation from New Delhi, and could push more ship diversions, higher insurance costs and tighter maritime safety measures if attacks continue.