Gulf tanker war leaves two Indian seafarers missing as attacks surge
Two Indian crew members remain unaccounted for after a drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin off Oman’s.
The Gulf’s escalating tanker war has claimed its first confirmed casualties, with two Indian seafarers missing after a drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin off Oman’s Sohar Anchorage on Sunday. While nine of the vessel’s 11 Indian crew members were rescued, Bir Bahadur Yadav and Amit Singh remain unaccounted for as Omani authorities scramble search and rescue operations in the wake of the attack.
The Petro Dolphin, a tanker broadcasting a Nicaraguan flag, was initially reported by UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) as exhibiting suspicious activity before the agency confirmed it had been struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond
The Petro Dolphin attack was not an isolated incident. All 11 Indian crew members onboard were confirmed safe, though the vessel sustained damage. UKMTO reported another outbound tanker struck on its port side earlier in the day, with no pollution reported, while a separate attack on Saturday evening involved a projectile and an onboard fire.
Brent Crude
The violence has spread beyond the strait, with the Panama-flagged Gem No.2, a 302,000 dwt tanker managed by Taiwan’s U-Ming Marine Transport, struck around 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera, UAE, on Friday. All 22 Indian seafarers onboard were unharmed, though a fire was extinguished and the extent of damage remains unclear. Last week, another tanker was struck off Qatar, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a stark warning: they would pursue ships taking unauthorised routes anywhere in the region, not just within the Strait of Hormuz.
The Revolutionary Guards also claimed responsibility for attacks on the Vietnamese LPG carrier NV Sunshine and a very large crude carrier (VLCC) allegedly damaged by a naval mine. Meanwhile, US forces struck the Panama-flagged bulker Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun, in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, disabling its propulsion after it allegedly ignored warnings under Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Sanctioned ships and shadowy registrations
The intensifying conflict has exposed a growing trend of questionable ship registrations, with a rising number of sanctioned vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz broadcasting Nicaraguan identities.
Earlier this year, investigative organisation Bellingcat uncovered a website offering ship registrations purportedly on behalf of Nicaragua, despite International Maritime Organization (IMO) records showing no authorised organisation for the country. The findings suggest a shadowy market for vessel registrations, where ships under sanctions or scrutiny can obscure their true ownership and operations by adopting flags from nations with lax oversight. The Petro Dolphin itself is a case in point.
The surge in attacks has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, briefly rose above $100 per barrel for the first time since July, climbing 2.3% before retreating slightly. Late Tuesday, the US military struck five Iranian tankers, sinking one, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship, further escalating the conflict.
India’s minister for ports, shipping and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has been at the forefront of efforts to secure the safety of Indian seafarers, who make up a significant portion of the global maritime workforce. In a statement following the Petro Dolphin attack, Sonowal confirmed the rescue of nine crew members and the ongoing search for the two missing seafarers. The incident has drawn widespread attention on social media, with the Federation of Seafarers’ Unions of India (FSUI) tweeting an urgent appeal for updates on the missing crew members.
“Two more Indian seafarers awaiting urgent status update on 2 missing Indian seafarers from MT Petro Dolphin. Nicaragua-flagged tanker was hit by a drone attack on 11 Oct at Sohar Anchorage, Oman. 11 crew onboard 2 remain missing Bir Bahadur Yadav & Amit Singh…”
FSUI·Seafarers’ union
The plight of the missing seafarers underscores the human cost of the Gulf’s tanker war, where geopolitical rivalries and economic interests collide with devastating consequences for those working at sea. As the conflict shows no signs of abating, the international community faces mounting pressure to safeguard shipping lanes and protect the lives of seafarers navigating one of the world’s most volatile regions.
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