What happened
India condemned a reported attack on the Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman. The ship reportedly came under a projectile strike, which caused an engine-room fire, left it without propulsion or steering, and forced the crew to anchor and evacuate into lifeboats and liferafts.
The vessel carried 24 crew members, including Indians, Ukrainians, Filipinos, Indonesians and Sri Lankans. At the time of reporting, 10 of the 11 Indian crew members had been rescued and one Indian seafarer remained missing.
Official response and operational context
The External Affairs Ministry called attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure deeply worrying and urged immediate de-escalation and a diplomatic solution for regional stability. Indian officials in Oman and Muscat were in touch with the ship manager and the crew families.
Omani authorities coordinated rescue operations. The U.S. Central Command blamed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the strike, while Iran’s naval forces separately warned that the Strait of Hormuz was closed until further notice.
Related current affairs
- New Hormuz route agreed, to be managed jointly with Oman: Iran
- Iran strikes 2 tankers trying to pass Hormuz under U.S. ‘air escort’
- Iran vows ‘eye for an eye’ as U.S. bombing continues
- Trump vows to hit a bridge or power plant in Iran for each Hormuz attack
- Allowing Iran to control Hormuz ‘dangerous precedent’, says Rubio
- Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 notified; seafarer safety framework and DGS advisories for conflict-sensitive regions