Drone attack off Oman: two Indian sailors missing – supertankers turn back
India condemns attacks on merchant ships near the Strait of Hormuz. According to Bloomberg, at least ten supertankers stopped or turned around off Fujairah.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Two Indian sailors are missing after attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. The Nicaragua-flagged tanker Petro Dolphin was reportedly hit by a drone off the Omani port of Sohar; two of its 11 Indian crew members are missing, according to India's shipping minister. A fire broke out on the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Valthera after it was hit by an unknown projectile; all 11 Indians on board are safe, New Delhi said. India condemned the attacks; its embassy in Muscat is working with Omani authorities.
The Revolutionary Guards navy said a tanker carrying 750,000 barrels of crude had hit a naval mine after using an unauthorised route. Who was behind the attacks on the two ships off Oman has not been officially established. According to data analysed by Bloomberg, at least ten very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and several Suezmax tankers stopped or turned around off Fujairah, a transfer hub outside the strait, on Monday.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains about 75 percent below pre-war levels, according to Iran International; the UK maritime agency UKMTO recorded 11 attacks on merchant vessels in the week to 9 October. Iranian military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi said Tehran aims to manage and restrict traffic through the strait rather than close it entirely.