Two Indian-flagged vessels were fired at by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz today, sources have said. No one was injured and the vessels were not damaged, they said. The two ships, however, had to turn back after the incident northeast of Oman in the shipping lane critical for oil trade.
One of the two vessels involved in the incident is a very large crude carrier (VLCC), a classification given to tankers that are massive in size and designed for long-haul crude transport.
Following the incident, New Delhi has summoned the Iranian ambassador, sources said, adding the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is likely to give a statement soon.
The incident comes amid operations by Iran which may not be working as a cohesive system amid the fog of war, leading to confusion on the ground. The US, too, has seen friendly fire incidents in this war.
Earlier today, Iran announced the control of the Strait of Hormuz has “reverted to its previous state” amid the continuing US naval blockade of Iranian ports. This has forced numerous commercial ships abandoning attempts to pass through the vital waterway.
Yesterday, Tehran had declared the strait that carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas open after a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon to stop Israel’s war with Hezbollah.
Then, this morning, Iran’s central military command said that in response to the US blockade, it would block the strait again, an announcement that came as maritime tracking sites showed several ships making a dash through the narrow waterway.
On April 13, Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali told NDTV that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open for Indian ships, even as Tehran warned of economic consequences from the US Navy blockade in the Persian Gulf.
Iran had also held out the possibility of resumed hostilities if Washington did not withdraw what Fathali described as “unlawful demands.”
In his first interview since the collapse of Iran-US talks in Islamabad last week, Fathali said New Delhi has been specifically named by Iran’s foreign minister as among five countries Tehran considers friendly. He said direct government-to-government contact is already underway to ensure the passage of Indian vessels through the strait.
“We have good contact with the [Indian] government for allowing their ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz,” Fathali had told NDTV.