Indian Oil Tanker Struck by Projectile in Strait of Hormuz; Crew Safe

A crude oil tanker carrying 15 Indian crew members was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to Sarbananda Sonowal, India's minister of ports, shipping and waterways. Sonowal confirmed that all Indian citizens aboard the vessel, identified as the MT ST 3, were safe and unharmed. "We are continuously monitoring both situations and remain in close contact with the ship management companies to ensure the ongoing security and wellbeing of our crew members," he stated on X.

This incident follows a similar attack earlier this month on a vessel owned by the Dubai shipping company Onex, which was also struck by a projectile in the strait. The MT On Peace had 12 crew members injured in that attack, including 11 Indians, as reported by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Furthermore, on Thursday, a Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Pride, caught fire and sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by an unidentified projectile. Fortunately, all 21 crew members on the GFS Pride were safely evacuated with no reported injuries, according to Singapore's maritime authority.

These repeated incidents underscore the heightened risks to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies, amid the escalating US-Iran conflict. Attacks on vessels transiting this waterway have reached a record high, with at least two ships sunk. The strikes, attributed to Iran, have led to a significant surge in crude oil prices, surpassing $100 a barrel in the US. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly employed drones, missiles, and sea mines in the strait to disrupt exports and inflate oil prices as a means of exerting economic pressure on the US.