India condemned an October 6, 2026 projectile attack on the Panama-flagged vessel MT On Peace in the Strait of Hormuz, which injured 12 crew members, including 11 Indian nationals among 17 aboard. Omani authorities evacuated the injured seafarers to Khasab for medical treatment. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called for an immediate halt to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in international waterways.
India's official reaction to the attack
- ▪India's Ministry of External Affairs urged for the immediate restoration of navigation and commerce through international waterways following the October 6, 2026 attack on MT On Peace
- ▪External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal thanked Omani authorities for assisting in the evacuation and medical care of the 12 injured MT On Peace crew members, including 11 Indian nationals
Details of the attack on MT On Peace
- ▪A projectile strike on the vessel MT On Peace injured 12 crew members, including 11 Indian nationals, on October 6, 2026
- ▪The Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace was struck by a projectile on October 6, 2026 while transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman
- ▪Omani authorities evacuated the 12 injured MT On Peace crew members, including 11 Indian nationals, to Khasab, Oman, to receive medical treatment following the October 6, 2026 projectile attack in the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪Seventeen of the 19 crew members aboard the Panama-flagged vessel MT On Peace were Indian nationals
Group of Friends on shipping Safety
- ▪India and Liberia established the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers to safeguard merchant crews and commercial shipping against targeted attacks
- ▪In September 2026, India and Liberia established a 25-nation Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers at the United Nations General Assembly
Black Sea vessel attack
- ▪India condemned the attack on the merchant vessel Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea and thanked Romanian authorities for their swift action in rescuing surviving crew members
- ▪Romanian authorities rescued three Indian crew members following an attack on the merchant vessel Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea that killed two foreign seafarers
Debatable claims
- ▪Diplomatic condemnation is insufficient to deter strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪India should deploy naval escorts to protect merchant vessels carrying Indian seafarers in high-risk waterways
- ▪Flag states bear primary responsibility for protecting merchant vessels over crew nationality nations
- ▪India's non-aligned diplomatic posture weakens protection for its nationals working in global maritime transit
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