Two Indian-flagged vessels were crossing the Strait of Hormuz when they were fired upon by the boats of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC).
Strait of Hormuz (Reuters/File)
Hours after Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz again, two Indian-flagged vessels came under fire, prompting a swift diplomatic response from New Delhi.
The incident marked the first time an Indian vessel faced an attack from the Iranian forces since the February 28 conflict began.
Since the war in West Asia broke out, multiple Indian-flagged vessels have safely crossed the war-torn waterway in recent weeks — the MT Desh Garima passed the strait at 1 P.M. on Saturday and is headed to Mumbai.
Previously, at least nine vessels — including Jag Vikram, Green Sanvi, Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Laadki, and Jag Vasant, among others — have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz.
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Which Indian Ships Were Targeted?
Two Indian-flagged vessels — the Sanmar Herald and the Jag Arnav — were crossing the Strait of Hormuz when they were fired upon by the boats of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Following the incident, the vessels turned back. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The Centre is yet to disclose details of the ships. According to Marine Traffic, Sanmar Herald was bound for India carrying crude oil from Iraq, while Jag Arnav had departed from Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia and was also en route to India.
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What Exactly Happened?
According to the U.K. Maritime Operations Centre, two IRGC gunboats approached one tanker without any prior communication and fired upon it. The vessel and the crew were reportedly safe.
In a separate incident nearby, another ship was “hit by an unknown projectile which caused damage to some of the containers”.
India Swings Into Action
Following the incident, New Delhi summoned Iranian ambassador, Dr. Mohammad Fathali, for a meeting with foreign secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening.
“The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi was called in by the Ministry of External Affairs for a meeting with Foreign Secretary this evening. During the meeting, Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz”, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
April 19, 2026, 09:54 IST
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