'21 Indian seafarers safe after Iranian boats target ships in Strait of Hormuz': Government

A Panama-flagged container ship came under fire from Iranian boats during heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with 21 Indian crew members onboard reported safe and unharmed, India’s shipping ministry confirmed on Thursday (April 23). Another vessel traveling toward India also passed through the waterway amid the escalation.

The ship, Euphoria, was among three vessels targeted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday. The move is seen as part of Tehran’s response to a US blockade of its shipping, aimed at reinforcing its control over the strategically vital strait, which carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.

The other ships involved were the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberian-registered Epaminondas, the latter en route to India’s Mundra port. “A vessel, Euphoria, was having 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe,” said additional secretary in the shipping ministry, Mukesh Mangal, at an inter-ministerial press conference on Thursday. The Euphoria also has one Burmese crew member. The Epaminondas had one Indian crew member onboard, who was also reported safe. “None of the Indian seafarers has been injured in the firing on the foreign-flagged vessels,” he added, according to a report by news agency ANI.

Also Read: 'Profiting off righteous operation': How an army soldier used secret war plans about Maduro's capture to make $400,000 on Polymarket

The MSC Francesca, reportedly detained along with the Epaminondas at Bandar Abbas port, did not have any Indian crew members. Initial reports from Iranian media suggested that the Euphoria had been stranded near the Iranian coast following the incident. However, ship tracking data later indicated the vessel was near the Oman coast and heading toward Khor Fakkan port. A senior shipping ministry official, speaking anonymously, later confirmed that the ship is continuing its journey to its original destination of Jeddah.

Maritime tracking in the Strait of Hormuz has recently been disrupted due to signal jamming and spoofing of transponder data, making real-time monitoring more difficult. In a related update, the Gibraltar-flagged bulk carrier Frosso K, carrying 55,000 metric tonnes of sulphur, safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and is en route to Paradip port in India.

The vessel was among 15 prioritized for evacuation from the Persian Gulf by India’s Department of Fertilizers. Meanwhile, the crude oil tanker Desh Garima, which crossed the strait on April 18, arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday.

On the same day, two Indian-flagged vessels, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, were also fired upon by IRGC boats while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to turn back.

According to the shipping ministry, there are currently 518 Indian seafarers aboard Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Persian Gulf region, including 340 west of the Strait of Hormuz and 178 in the Gulf of Oman.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.