The Indian government has reported a series of concerning attacks on commercial vessels involving its citizens, highlighting growing risks to international shipping. New Delhi confirmed that an Indian national was killed during an attack on a commercial vessel in the Black Sea last week. Additionally, on Friday, a Mozambique-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, identified by the Forward Seamen's Union of India as the MV Disha, was struck by an unknown missile near the Strait of Hormuz while en route to the Gulf. The vessel, which carried 28 Indian crew members, was reportedly targeted in Iranian territorial waters. The Indian embassy in Tehran stated that all crew members are safe and that officials are in contact with local authorities.
Separately, the Indian foreign ministry condemned an attack on the MV Omorfi, which occurred on July 18 while the vessel was transiting the Black Sea, reportedly in Russian territorial waters. The ship had three Indian nationals on board. In a statement, the ministry expressed serious concern regarding the increasing threats to freedom of navigation and international commerce, stating, "India unequivocally condemns such attacks targeting commercial shipping and placing the lives of innocent civilian crew members at risk." Following a previous incident where four Indian nationals were killed in a Russian attack on a cargo ship departing Ukraine, New Delhi issued a security warning for ships heading into the Black Sea that are locally flagged or employ Indian seafarers. The government has also summoned Russia's top envoy in New Delhi to protest the situation.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the incident near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, cited an informed source claiming that the US military fired two missiles at an LPG tanker on Friday afternoon, allegedly mistaking it for a vessel transporting Iranian gas. The Iranian report claimed the strike resulted in two deaths and disabled the tanker's engine room. The US military has not issued a comment on these allegations, and it remains unclear if the tanker mentioned by Iran is the same vessel identified by the Indian embassy. Government sources in India have noted that 16 of its nationals have been killed or are missing in the Middle East since the escalation of the US-Iran conflict. As one of the world's largest contributors to the merchant navy, India currently has over 320,000 active seafarers as of 2025.
