Indian Crew Member Missing after Cyprus-Flagged Ship Attacked in Strait of Hormuz
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 12: An Indian national remained missing after an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman, after GFS Galaxy caught fire forcing the crew to flee. Ten Of the 11 Indians, who were on board, have been rescued so far while one is still missing, the Indian government has confirmed.
“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman earlier today. Of the 11 Indian nationals on board, 10 have been rescued so far, while 1 Indian national is reportedly missing,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. The Indian Embassy in Oman, it said, is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Omani authorities for the ongoing search and rescue operation.
As the US – Iran war escalated, Iran hit out at its neighbouring nations in the Gulf in an apparent response to the US attack on Tehran early on Sunday. The US hit Iran over an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a container ship being set ablaze. Iran attacked the US bases in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Strait of Hormuz has been a sticky point in any further negotiations between Iran and the United States.
The US military’s Central Command said it struck around 140 targets in its latest operation—significantly more than in the previous two rounds. The strikes targeted missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots, communication systems, and other military facilities. According to Central Command, the operation was intended to weaken Iran’s ability to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait. The renewed exchange of attacks in the Persian Gulf comes just days after US President Donald Trump suggested that the possibility of an interim agreement in the conflict with Iran was “over.”
Mr Trump has said the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial traffic despite growing tensions between Washington and Tehran. His remarks came as the United States and Iran continue to exchange attacks, increasing concerns about the security of the crucial oil shipping route.
The US Embassy in Oman has issued a safety advisory for American citizens in parts of the country, urging them to remain indoors following what it described as “recent activity” in the region.
The United Arab Emirates has issued a strong condemnation of the latest Iranian strikes against countries in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the attacks as a clear breach of the sovereignty of neighbouring nations, warning that such actions undermine regional security and stability.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have expressed concern over the renewed conflict in West Asia and said the recent clashes between the U.S. and Iran threaten regional peace and stability.
Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was closed once again after a warning shot fired by its military struck a vessel using an unauthorised route in the critical waterway, further jeopardising the already tenuous ceasefire agreement with the United States.
The U.S. military, however, insisted on Sunday that ships were moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s claim to have closed it in the latest flare-up of the war in West Asia. “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in West Asia, said on X.
In a later post, CENTCOM directly mentioned and challenged an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps statement that the vital conduit for global oil flow was closing. “The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels and U.S. military forces are ‘positioned and prepared’ to ensure freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said on Sunday.
The escalation is the latest to undermine an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their war, which broke out in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader.
GFS Galaxy suffered significant damage after it came under an attack that Iran justified as a course-correction move for taking an “unauthorised” route. India described the continued attacks on ships as deeply worrisome and called for an immediate de-escalation.
“The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region,” it said. Commercial ships and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted in accordance with international law, it stressed.
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” it added.
The US has launched at least three rounds of strikes after the ship attack, while confirming that a civilian crew member had gone missing and that the ship has been damaged to the point that it cannot continue its journey.
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed. In response, the US is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,” said the US Central Command that oversees the military’s West Asia operations.
The latest flurry of shots from both sides comes a day after Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers met to discuss the strait that lies between them, after days of Iranian attacks on ships and US retaliation that dealt a blow to the interim deal to end the war.
