How many Indian seafarers have been killed since US-Iran war began? A timeline

At least 15 seafarers, many of them Indians, have died in attacks on merchant vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. The latest casualty was an Indian seafarer who was killed during an Iranian missile strike on two UAE oil tankers on Tuesday. The attack also left six Indians and two Ukrainians injured. India has summoned Iran’s deputy chief of mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, to protest the incident. The first reported Indian casualty occurred on March 1, when the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MKD Vyom was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. One Indian crew member was killed. No group claimed responsibility, though the United States blamed Iranian forces for the strike. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) later included the vessel in its list of confirmed fatal incidents. That same day, the Palau-flagged tanker Skylight, operating near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two Indian sailors. These incidents followed a day of intense exchanges between Iran and the United States and Israel. On May 8, another Indian sailor died after a wooden dhow carrying Indian crew caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Six days later, on June 9, three Indian seafarers were killed when the US struck the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman. US forces stated the vessel had violated the blockade on Iranian ports after disregarding warnings. The three victims, Aditya Sharma, a cadet; Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter; and Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer, were identified following the attack. On July 12, the Cyprus-flagged merchant vessel GFS Galaxy came under attack off the coast of Oman, with 11 Indian seafarers aboard. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that 10 Indian nationals were rescued, while one sailor remained missing. The attack marked yet another escalation in the volatile maritime environment. Just two days later, on July 14, Iranian cruise missiles struck two Emirati oil tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz in Omani waters. An Indian sailor was killed, and eight crew members, including six Indians, were injured. Fires broke out on both tankers but were later extinguished. Four of the injured sustained serious wounds. India’s involvement in the region is deeply tied to its reliance on the Gulf for energy imports. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, handles approximately 20% of global oil trade. Thousands of merchant ships, including oil tankers, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, container vessels, and bulk carriers, transit the waterway annually. Nine Indian-linked tankers with 198 Indian crew members remain stranded near the strait, according to Bloomberg. Shipping traffic through the area has dropped to its lowest level since the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) came into force last month. The IMO has warned that around 20,000 seafarers remain exposed to the worsening security situation in the Gulf. It has urged all parties to ensure the protection of civilian shipping and uphold freedom of navigation. As tensions continue to escalate, the safety of seafarers, particularly those from India, remains a pressing concern. The ongoing conflict has created a dangerous environment for maritime operations, with attacks increasingly targeting commercial vessels. The loss of life and injuries reported so far underscore the severity of the crisis and the urgent need for de-escalation.