First Indian Killed in US-Iran Conflict After Drone Boat Hits Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman

A bomb-carrying drone boat struck a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, killing an Indian crew member and intensifying concerns over maritime security in the region amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. According to Oman’s state-run news agency, the attack took place off the coast of Muscat. The vessel was identified as MKD VYOM. Authorities confirmed that the mariner who died in the incident was an Indian national.

Earlier reports from Reuters said a projectile hit the tanker while it was sailing near Oman’s coast. The ship’s manager, V.Ships Asia, confirmed the fatality, stating that the explosion triggered a fire onboard. “The vessel suffered an explosion and subsequent fire after being struck by a suspected projectile while off the coast of Muscat, Oman on 1 March,” the company said. “It is with great sadness that we confirm one crew member, who was in the engine room at the time of the incident, has died.”

The strike comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation on American bases in the region. Iran has previously threatened vessels near the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, raising fears of further attacks on commercial shipping. In a separate incident on Sunday, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying 15 Indian nationals was reportedly hit off Oman’s Musandam peninsula, leaving four people injured. The latest attacks underscore the growing risks to commercial vessels navigating the Gulf waters as regional hostilities continue to escalate.