- U.S.-owned tanker attacked near Basra, one Indian crew member killed.
- Marshall Islands–flagged Safesea Vishnu targeted during Persian Gulf attack.
- Fifteen Indian crew evacuated safely, Indian embassy in Baghdad confirms.
- Incident highlights rising threats to shipping amid Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict.
A U.S.-owned crude oil tanker was attacked on Wednesday in the southern port city of Basra in Iraq resulting in the death of an Indian crew member as troubles in the Persian Gulf kept mounting up following the current war between Iran, the United States and Israel.
The Safesea Vishnu was the tanker that was registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands and was attacked in the waters of Iraq as a result of what the Iranian media described as a drone strike on transport vessels of Western interest in the area.
It was reported that after, the incident the remaining 15 Indian crew members on board of the vessel was safely evacuated and relocated to a safe place by confirming it by the Indian embassy in Baghdad.
On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker, the Safesea Vishnu, under a Marshall Islands flag, was attacked off Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crewmember regrettably entered into an untimely death. The rest of the 15 Indian crew has since been ferried to a secure location, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad released a statement on X.
Targeting of Two Oil Tankers in the Gulf Waters
The operation involved underwater drones and targeted two oil tankers that were in Persian Gulf, according to the state broadcaster IRIB, Iran. The report indicated that the ships that were hit were the Marshall Islands flagged Safesea Vishnu, and the Maltese flagged tanker Zefyros.
The Oceanic safesea Vishnu belongs to the U.S. based company Safesea Transport Inc., and so does the Zefyros, which is claimed to belong to a Greek shipping company. According to the regional reports, the attack led to a fire in one of the vessels in the waters of the Iraqi territory.
The Indian officials reported that the diplomatic personnel were making contact with the Iraqi authorities to secure the rescue of the sailors, as well as keeping track of events since the incident.
The embassy said it was in constant touch with the Iraqi officials and it rescued Indian sailors and was attempting to provide them with every possible support. The mission also passed on their best wishes to the family of the dead crew member.
Sea Piracy Taking off
The threat is received in light of the aggravation of security risks to commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran broke out. Earlier Iran warned that it would shoot down the ships that were passing along through the Strait of Hormuz which was ranked as one of the most significant maritime paths in the world.
The waterway that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman with the Arabian Sea is rather narrow, through which about 20 percent of all oil shipments of the world usually pass.
The threat has however not stopped some shipping traffic passing through the route, although industry analysts report that there is a dramatic drop in vessel traffic because of security issues.
U.S. President Donald Trump administration has claimed that American troops have exercised action to meet threats to commerce ships and military equipment in the Maritime.
The military operation by the U.S and Israeli forces against Iran was already in the 12th day on Wednesday and the two parties were still striking each other in various locations in the Middle East.
The conflict has already affected maritime trade routes and increased the prices of oil in the world, given the fear of oil supply disruption due to the region. It is believed that the tensions in the Persian Gulf are still high and the authorities and shipping companies monitor the situation.
