Drone Strike Hits Tanker MT Petro Dolphin Off Oman; 2 Indian Sailors Missing

A drone strike hit the commercial tanker MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar anchorage off the coast of Oman on October 11, according to India Today. The vessel was carrying 11 Indian crew members at the time of the attack. Nine of the Indian seafarers were rescued and are reported safe, while two Indian nationals remain missing.

Indian authorities and the Embassy of India in Muscat are coordinating with local officials as search and rescue operations continue, India Today reported. The Ministry of External Affairs has renewed its appeal for the safe passage and protection of Indian sailors in the region. The Indian government has described the situation as unacceptable, the channel said.

According to India Today, a second vessel was also affected — a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker that likewise had Indian crew on board. Those sailors were reported to be safe and were being moved to secure locations with the help of the Indian embassy in Muscat.

The report said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released video on Sunday showing a supertanker on fire after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC stated that the tanker, which was carrying crude oil, had deactivated its navigation systems and attempted to exit the strait through an unauthorized route, which it said led to the explosion.

The strikes add to long-running worries about maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, where multiple commercial vessels have come under attack in recent months. India Today reported that thousands of Indian seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf region, and that previous incidents have left Indian crew members dead or missing. Indian officials have repeatedly raised the issue on the global stage, including appeals from the prime minister for safe and free passage, but operations in the strait have yet to return to normal.