An Indian sailor was killed on March 11 in the ongoing Iran vs Israel-US war. The sailor was part of a crew on the US-owned tanker MT Safesea Vishnu. A total of 16 Indians were part of the crew.
“On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member unfortunately lost his life. The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place. Embassy of India Baghdad is in regular contact with Iraqi authorities and rescued Indian sailors and is offering all possible assistance. Embassy extends its deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased crew member,” the Indian Embassy in Iraq posted on X.
As per Vessel Finder, the last updated position of the Safesea Vishnu was in Basrah Oil Terminal Anchorage in the Persian Gulf off the Iraq at midnight. The vessel is a Marshall Islands-flagged ship.
The Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai, issued a statement, saying that at approximately 9 PM UTC on March 11, the oil tanker, MT Safesea Vishnu, which was carrying around 48,000 metric tonnes of naphtha, was struck by a white unmanned speedboat carrying explosives as per preliminary reports.
The incident occurred near Basra, Iraq, during a ship-to-ship (STS) cargo loading operations off the Khor Al Zubair Port.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have two Indian nationals whom we have lost, and one is missing. We express our condolences to their families. This happened when they were on merchant vessels which came under attack.”
With an India-bound ship coming under attack from suspected Iranian fighters, Delhi had issued the first direct criticism of Tehran on Wednesday as it “deplored” that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks. India then co-sponsored a resolution in the United Nations Security Council that condemned the “egregious” attacks by Iran against Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan, and demanded the immediate cessation of all attacks by Tehran while denouncing its threats of closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier condemned the strikes by Iran on Arab countries in West Asia during his conversations with the leaders of those countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
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The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel was struck by “two projectiles of unknown origin” while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday—off the coast of Oman, causing a fire and damaging the engine room, the ship’s Thai-listed operator Precious Shipping said in a statement. “Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room,” Precious Shipping said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency that the ship was “fired upon by Iranian fighters”, suggesting the first direct engagement by the Guards, who have previously fired missiles or drones.
Hours later, the MEA in Delhi said, “We have seen reports about the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Straits of Hormuz on 11 March. The ship was bound for Kandla in India.”
“India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing,” it added.
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“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” it said.
