Indian seafarer killed as Indian-flagged vessel is attacked off Oman; MEA condemns strike

An Indian seafarer has been killed and 13 of his crewmates rescued after an Indian-flagged vessel, the MSV Al Jusufi, was attacked near Limah on the coast of Oman on Monday evening, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. All 14 people on board were Indian nationals.

The ministry condemned the attack and repeated India's call for "immediate de-escalation of tensions". It is the latest in a long run of strikes on merchant ships around the Strait of Hormuz, where indirect talks between the United States and Iran are under way but where the waterway itself remains largely closed to normal traffic.

What happened

"We condemn the attack on a commercial vessel MSV AL JUSUFI, near Limah, Oman yesterday evening," the MEA said in its statement, as carried by ANI and Reuters. "Of the 14 Indian nationals on board, 13 have been rescued while one Indian national tragically lost his life after sustaining injuries."

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said in a post on X that the vessel had been "struck by an unidentified aerial object" while sailing near the Omani coast. He said the 13 survivors were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard, and that the seafarer who died was from Gujarat. The Declaration is not naming him.

The MEA said India's embassy in Oman was "closely monitoring the situation" and working with Omani authorities on the early repatriation of the rescued crew and of the body of the man who died.

Several details remain unclear. Indian officials have not said what struck the vessel, whether a drone, missile or other projectile, and no government or armed group has been named as responsible or has claimed the attack. Reports differ on the vessel's type: AFP described it as a cargo vessel, while Khaleej Times referred to it in places as a tanker. Its route and cargo have not been made public. The Logical Indian noted that the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) logged an incident on 2 November in which a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile near Limah, but that UKMTO's public notice did not name the ship.

What India said

The MEA statement went beyond condolences. "The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply concerning," it said, calling for "the conclusion of ongoing negotiations" and adding: "The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end."

It also called for "free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region", a line India has used repeatedly since the war began.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a separate post referring to the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, said: "The Global South is disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers." Business Today noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier raised the cost to seafarers' lives in the Strait of Hormuz at the G7.

Background

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, and the two countries have been at war since, according to The National. Shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel between Iran and Oman through which a large share of the world's oil and gas normally passes, has been hit repeatedly.

According to IMO and UKMTO data cited by Al Jazeera and reported by Business Today, there have been more than 120 attacks on commercial vessels since the conflict began. October, with 29 attacks, was the worst month so far. In the days just before the Al Jusufi was struck, the Panama-flagged tanker RITI caught fire after an attack near Oman's Musandam peninsula on 29 October, and its 25 crew were taken off by Oman's navy; on 30 October the Panama-flagged tanker Louise 1 was hit by two limpet mines off Khasab, with no injuries reported.

India has an unusually large stake. Khaleej Times reported that India had more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, and that several Indian mariners have been killed in attacks in the strait area since February. India also relies heavily on oil and gas shipped from the Gulf.

The diplomatic picture

The attack came as Washington and Tehran signalled movement in indirect talks led by Qatar, with Pakistan also mediating. US Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Monday: "We've certainly made some progress. We'll see if we can make some more," AFP reported.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, has said a plan to reopen the strait could be carried out "in two days" if the US accepts Iran's demands. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that these include accepting an Iran-Oman transit route, lifting recently imposed sanctions and reducing US troop numbers in the region.

At the same time, the fighting has not fully stopped. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that American forces carried out a small strike on Iran's Qeshm Island in the strait on Monday, one of a series of limited strikes it said had been kept quiet; Iranian state media reported several explosions on the island. US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment from AFP and The National. Asked whether he was considering striking Iran after Tuesday's US midterm elections, President Donald Trump replied "no", The National reported, adding: "We had a war with Iran. We won."

Oil markets have swung with the headlines. AFP said prices fell by more than 7% on Monday on hopes of a settlement; The National reported Brent crude edging up 0.5% to $105.25 a barrel in early Asian trade on Tuesday.

What happens next

• Repatriation: the embassy in Muscat is arranging for the 13 survivors and the body of the deceased seafarer to be brought home. No date has been given.
• Investigation: it is not yet known who carried out the attack. Any statement from Oman, UKMTO or the Joint Maritime Information Center on the cause will be the next marker.
• Talks: the Qatar-led track is continuing, and Iran's offer to reopen Hormuz within two days depends on Washington's answer to its demands.
• Safety of crews: the death is likely to renew questions about how Indian-flagged vessels and Indian crews are protected while working in the area, an issue New Delhi has raised at the G7 and G20.