Indian sailor killed as Iran strikes oil tankers in Gulf war escalation

An Indian national was killed after Iran struck two oil tankers including one owned by a US company off the coast of Iraq in overnight attacks, sharply escalating tensions in the Gulf as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran entered its second week.

The strikes mark the first direct Iranian assault on oil tankers since Tehran warned that “not a litre of oil” would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime energy corridors.

According to sources cited by PTI news agency, the US-owned, Marshall Islands–flagged crude tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked by an Iranian “suicide” boat near the Khor Al Zubair port within Iraq’s territorial waters. An Indian crew member was killed in the attack, though authorities have not yet disclosed the victim’s identity.

The remaining 27 crew members aboard the vessel were rescued and transported to the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the sources said.

Explosions and fires at sea

Videos circulating on social media showed a massive explosion followed by raging fires engulfing two oil tankers — the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu, which is owned by US-based Safesea Transport Inc and operated in global crude trade.

Flames spreading across the water suggested a significant oil spill. According to ship-tracking platform TankerTrackers.com, the vessels were believed to be carrying up to 400,000 barrels of Iraqi crude oil.

Industry sources said the attack appears to be part of Iran’s broader strategy to pressure Washington to halt strikes on Iranian and Iran-aligned targets and deter further escalation in the widening regional conflict.

The incident came just hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the United States had effectively “won the war” against Iran.

Tankers targeted amid escalating maritime threats

The Safesea Vishnu, built in 2007, is a crude oil tanker measuring 228.6 metres in length and 32.57 metres in width, with a gross tonnage of 42,010 and a deadweight tonnage of 73,976, according to maritime tracking platform VesselFinder.

Company sources said Safesea Transport Inc was “devastated” by the loss of the Indian crew member.

The second tanker targeted in the incident, Zefyros, is operated by a Greece-based shipping firm.

Hormuz tensions rattle global energy markets

Iran’s move to strike commercial vessels comes amid repeated warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between Oman and Iran through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.

The widening conflict has already rattled global energy markets, pushing crude prices close to $120 per barrel, the highest level in roughly four years as fears of supply disruptions intensify.

In an interview with CBS News, Donald Trump warned that any Iranian attempt to choke off global oil supplies would mean the “end of Iran”.

Iranian officials, however, signaled defiance, with the IRGC reiterating that it would not allow even “one litre of oil” to leave the Middle East if attacks on Iran continued.

India condemns attacks on commercial vessels

India has meanwhile condemned attacks on commercial shipping in the region after another incident involving a vessel bound for Indian shores.

New Delhi criticised a strike on the Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree, which was sailing toward Kandla Port in Gujarat when it was hit by an Iranian projectile.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said it had taken serious note of the reports and warned that such attacks on merchant vessels posed a growing threat to maritime safety and global trade.

The IRGC later claimed responsibility for the strike, saying the bulk carrier had entered the Strait of Hormuz despite repeated warnings to avoid the area.