India Renews Call for Hormuz Security After Indian Sailor Injured and 10 Attacks Recorded in November

Key Facts

India renewed its call on November 10 to ensure freedom and safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, amid reports of attacks on ships in the region and the injury of an Indian sailor. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was in contact with the parties concerned to prevent attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, including Indians. The statement came after an Indian sailor was killed in an attack on a commercial vessel near Lima, Oman, on November 2, an attack India condemned. On the same day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a tanker had been hit by an unknown projectile 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima. It said the tanker’s crew was safe and no environmental impact had been reported. These incidents place the safety of seafarers and commercial vessels at the center of India’s diplomatic efforts.

In a separate incident, India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said 4 crew members aboard the MT Fujairah Energy were injured, including an Indian with minor injuries, while 18 others remained safe. The Liberia-flagged tanker had been attacked with a projectile in the Arabian Gulf. The ports, shipping and waterways minister said the six Indian sailors aboard were safe and that India was in contact with the vessel’s management company. ADNOC Logistics & Services confirmed that one of its vessels was damaged in an attack in UAE territorial waters on the afternoon of November 10. The company said response teams were continuing their work. It was unclear whether the incidents were related.

Some details of the incidents remain accounts that could not be independently verified. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said 3 vessels struck sea mines and caught fire while using a route it described as unauthorized in the Strait of Hormuz. The Associated Press reported the claim, citing Iranian television, and said it could not independently verify it. By contrast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported the tanker incident near Lima, while ADNOC announced that one of its vessels had been damaged in UAE waters. It was unclear whether the three incidents were connected. The different locations and accounts mean each incident should be treated separately when reporting developments at sea.

Attacks on ships reached the October and November figures reported by Reuters. A total of 37 vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways during October, the highest monthly total since the war began, according to the agency. As of its report published on November 11, 10 attacks had been recorded this month. These figures reflect the continuation of incidents after a month that saw the highest monthly toll since the war began, without meaning that every incident reported in November took place inside the strait itself. More broadly, the International Maritime Organization said it had verified at least 130 attacks on commercial vessels in the region through November 6. The organization confirmed that 25 seafarers had died since the conflict began.

In oil markets, Brent crude futures rose 71 cents, or 0.78%, to $92.20 a barrel by 0119 GMT on November 11. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 49 cents, or 0.57%, to $86.53 a barrel at the same time. The move followed a decline in prices in the previous session to their lowest levels in two months. Reuters said the market was weighing hopes for de-escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran against concerns about attacks on shipping in Hormuz. These prices are snapshots during trading at the specified time, not closing prices for the session. The report showed that security concerns remained a factor in oil pricing alongside hopes for de-escalation.

India’s call comes as risks to seafarers intersect with the security of shipping through a key regional passage. India had condemned the killing of its sailor near Lima on November 2, then announced that its six sailors aboard the damaged tanker were safe in the latest incident. The International Maritime Organization has also called for vital shipping lanes to remain open and safe, as it counted 25 confirmed deaths and at least 130 attacks it had verified through November 6. These figures show the scale of the danger facing commercial vessels and seafarers in the region. The focus of India’s position, according to its foreign ministry statement, remains its contacts with the parties concerned to prevent attacks on civilian vessels and seafarers.