A chemical tanker, the MT Siron, carrying 12 Indian crew members, reportedly came under attack by the Iranian Coast Guard near the coast of Oman on April 25. The incident, involving the Togo-flagged vessel, occurred near the outer port limits of Shinas, as confirmed by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways on Monday.
Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated in a press briefing that the incident, which took place on April 25, 2026, involved the MT Siron with Indian crew members onboard, near Shinas, Oman. Randhawa clarified that the Coast Guard fired warning shots while the vessel was sailing with other ships. Fortunately, all Indian crew members are reported to be safe.
The shipping ministry is actively coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Indian missions, and other stakeholders, closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of the crew and maritime operations. They affirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe.
This incident follows previous reports of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing upon other Indian vessels, namely the VLCC Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, as they attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz. These earlier incidents had prompted strong protests from India. Reports suggest that the Indian ship was fired upon despite having received clearance from Iranian authorities. Republic TV reportedly obtained exclusive audio footage of a Mayday call made by the captain during one of these attacks.
The British military had previously reported that two Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared renewed restrictions on the vital waterway. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre confirmed the tanker and its crew were safe. Iran’s joint military command had asserted that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state… under strict management and control of the armed forces,” warning of continued transit blocks as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. Iran has historically prevented unauthorized vessels from crossing the strait during periods of conflict.
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