India on Sunday strongly condemned an attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman after 13 of its 14 Indian crew members were rescued while one seafarer remained missing, as escalating attacks on commercial shipping raised fresh concerns over maritime security in the conflict-hit region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian Embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities in the continuing search-and-rescue operation for the missing national. New Delhi thanked Oman for its assistance in rescuing the crew and renewed its call for an immediate de-escalation of tensions, stressing that attacks on merchant vessels, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure were unacceptable.
Search continues for missing Indian
The vessel was attacked early on Sunday while sailing in waters off Oman, with 14 Indian nationals on board. Thirteen crew members were subsequently rescued, while efforts continued to trace the missing seafarer. The circumstances surrounding the attack and the identity of those responsible were not immediately established.
The incident comes amid heightened insecurity across some of the world's most important maritime routes, with commercial vessels facing growing risks as regional hostilities spill into shipping lanes. The Gulf of Oman and the adjoining Strait of Hormuz are particularly sensitive because of the enormous volumes of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas transported through the region. Any sustained disruption to shipping can therefore have consequences extending well beyond West Asia, affecting freight costs, insurance premiums, energy supplies and global commodity prices.
The MEA said Indian officials were maintaining close contact with Omani authorities as the search continued. The government has increasingly had to respond to emergencies involving Indian sailors in West Asian waters this year, highlighting India's particular exposure to disruptions in international shipping because of the large number of Indian nationals employed in the global maritime industry.
Attacks put seafarer safety in focus
Sunday's attack comes just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the BRICS Summit in New Delhi to propose the creation of a Seafarers' Emergency Support Network, aimed at improving assistance to sailors caught in wars, attacks and other emergencies at sea. Modi argued that secure maritime routes and protection of seafarers were essential for international commerce and called for stronger cooperation in providing distress assistance, evacuation support and other emergency services.
India has repeatedly raised concerns over attacks on commercial vessels during the continuing conflicts in West Asia. Indian nationals have been among those killed, injured or stranded in incidents involving merchant ships in and around the Gulf, Gulf of Aden and other high-risk waters. New Delhi has maintained that freedom of navigation and the safety of civilian shipping must be protected irrespective of wider geopolitical disputes.
The latest incident also adds to mounting pressure on shipping companies operating near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints. The region has witnessed repeated attacks and disruptions during the current conflict, forcing operators to reassess routes, strengthen onboard precautions and absorb higher security and insurance costs.
Hormuz tensions threaten global shipping
Fresh attacks on vessels and energy infrastructure have intensified fears of further disruption to global oil supplies. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea and remains indispensable to major energy exporters, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran. Even limited interruptions can quickly influence international crude prices because alternative routes cannot fully replace its enormous shipping capacity.
The danger is particularly acute for India, which imports close to 90 per cent of the crude oil it consumes and relies heavily on West Asian suppliers. Maritime instability therefore poses a dual challenge for New Delhi — protecting Indian seafarers working aboard commercial vessels while safeguarding the energy and trade routes on which the economy depends.
India has consistently advocated de-escalation and dialogue as regional hostilities have intensified. The attack on MT El Gaia has now reinforced those concerns, with New Delhi making clear that civilian shipping must remain outside the conflict. As the search continues for the missing Indian crew member, the incident has once again placed the vulnerability of merchant sailors at the centre of a widening maritime security crisis.