Iran War: Indian crew killed in drone boat strike on tanker off Oman coast

An Indian national was killed on Monday after an explosives-laden unmanned boat struck an oil tanker off the coast of Oman’s Muscat Governorate, underscoring the growing risks to commercial shipping in the region in light of the Iran-Israel-US military clashes.

According to Oman’s ministry of defence, the oil tanker MV MKD Vyom, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked approximately 52 nautical miles off the Omani capital Muscat’s coast.

“The Maritime Security Centre reported that the oil tanker MKD Vyom was attacked by an unmanned boat 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate,” the ministry said in a statement.

The strike triggered a fire and explosion in the vessel’s engine room, resulting in the death of one crew member. While Omani authorities did not officially identify the deceased, local media — including Oman Observer — reported that the victim was an Indian national.

The remaining 21 crew members were evacuated safely. According to local reports, those rescued included: 16 Indian nationals, four Bangladeshi nationals, and an Ukrainian national.

“The attack caused a fire and an explosion in the main engine room, leading to the death of an Indian crew member,” Oman Observer reported.

The incident came just a day after another tanker was attacked in the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, the MV Skylight was targeted in a separate strike that left four crew members injured. Oman’s state-run news agency said those hurt were from India and Iran.

Following that incident, the Indian Embassy in Oman said it was in constant contact with local authorities. “We are also coordinating with officials in Oman for the repatriation of the crew members who have been rescued from MV Skylight and will continue to render all possible assistance in the matter,” the mission said in a post on X.

The Strait of Hormuz — located between Oman and Iran — links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and remains one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints. As of today, 2 March, the strait has been de facto blocked by Iran, leading to a downward spiral in stock markets in the face of an almost certain — and steep — rise in oil prices.

With PTI inputs