- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Iranian Coast Guards have targeted a chemical tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, carrying 1 Indian crew members. The ship bearing a flag of Togo, a West African country, near the outer port of Shinas, Oman.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has confirmed that all Indians remain safe. The ship was sailing with other vessels when the Iranian coast guard intercepted it and fired warning shots.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said the incident took place on April 25. "On April 25, 2026, an incident involving a Togo-flagged chemical tanker, MT Siron, was reported, which had Indian crew members on board. The incident occurred near the outer port limits of Shinas in Oman. The vessel was sailing along with other ships when it was intercepted by the Iranian Coast Guard, which fired warning shots."
"All Indian crew members are safe. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is in constant contact with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders, and remains committed to ensuring the safety of the crew and maritime operations. All Indian seafarers in the region are safe," he added.
Iran has banned the passage through the Strait in the wake of a US naval blockade, following failed negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Since then, a number of ships have come under attack. Last week, the Iranian IRGC Navy targeted three ships, MSC-Francesca, Epaminodes and Euphoria.
Francesca and Epaminodes were taken into custody. In a press briefing, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said that two of the three foreign-flagged commercial vessels had 22 Indian seafarers.
While there was no Indian crew on Francesca, at least one Indian crew was onboard Epaminodes. Euphoria had 21 Indian nationals on board, and all were safe as the ship was on the west side of Hormuz, which is out of the Iranian waters.