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Published : 14 May 2026, 08:18 PM
India said on Thursday that an Indian-flagged wooden cargo vessel had sunk while sailing through Omani waters following a fire from a suspected drone or missile strike.
The vessel is the second to have been sunk in the region since the Iran conflict began on Feb 28. The war has left hundreds of ships stranded and 20,000 seafarers unable to leave the Strait of Hormuz waterway that leads out into the Gulf of Oman.
The attack on the dhow – a vessel built of wood – happened while it was sailing to the United Arab Emirates from Somalia in the early hours of Wednesday, India's shipping ministry said in a statement. That caused a fire on board and eventually led to its sinking, the statement said.
All 14 crew were rescued by the Omani coast guard and moved to Diba port, the ministry added.
India did not specify the nature of the attack or who was behind it, but British maritime risk management group Vanguard said it involved a suspected explosion believed to have been caused by a drone or missile strike. The vessel was carrying a cargo of livestock, it said.
Maritime security sources separately assessed that it was likely to have been a drone attack.
India Deplores Targeting Of Commercial Shipping
"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided," it said.
The vessel was named by Indian shipping ministry officials as the Haji Ali. It last reported its position off the coast of Muscat on May 11, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed. Its operators could not be reached for comment.
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the US-Israeli war with Iran erupted on Feb 28.
India last month summoned the Iranian envoy to New Delhi and flagged its "deep concern" over the incidents.
The Iran war has sharply increased risks for commercial shipping in the Gulf, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy transit route, with multiple vessels attacked or damaged since the conflict began.
The latest Indian statement came as foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping, including from Iran, gathered in New Delhi for their annual meeting under the shadow of the war, testing the bloc's ability to reach a unified position and produce a joint statement.
