The Indian supertanker SANMAR HERALD (IMO: 9330563), which came under fire while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, changed its name to INDIANSHIPINDIANCREW, The Insider found using the Starboard Maritime Intelligence ship tracking service.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre, on April 20 at about 9:20 a.m. UTC, two boats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the oil tanker around 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman and opened fire. No radio communication was established between the boats and the ship.
The vessel was fired on despite complying with conditions set by Iran for passage through the strait.
The incident came despite renewed trade ties between India and Iran: on April 13, India received its first shipment of Iranian oil in seven years. According to media reports, the delivery signaled a gradual resumption of oil trade between New Delhi and Tehran amid global instability in energy markets.
A container ship also came under fire on April 18. TankerTrackers said it too was sailing under the Indian flag. According to UKMTO, that incident occurred at about 11:25 a.m. UTC around 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile, damaging some of the containers on board.
The vessel-monitoring service TankerTrackers later released a recording of a radio message from the tanker SANMAR HERALD (IMO: 9330563), which was fired on while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. In the recording, the ship’s captain is heard trying to contact IRGC units that had approached the tanker.
“IRGC Navy, IRGC Navy, this is motor [vessel] Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance, you gave me clearance to go. My name [is] second on your list. You gave me clearance to go.”
The crew received no reply to its calls, as per the UKMTO.
Reuters reported that during the same period, several vessels received a radio message from Iranian forces announcing a renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Attention all ships, regarding the failure of the U.S. government to fulfil its commitment in the negotiation, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz completely closed again. No vessel of any type or nationality is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” the radio message said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs reacted to the attacks, saying the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi had been called in for a meeting with the Foreign Secretary.
“He noted the importance that India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners and recalled that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India. Reiterating his concern at this serious incident of firing on merchant ships, [India’s] Foreign Secretary urged the Ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait.”
