Tension again in the Gulf of Oman: Fear of fire and explosion in a ship near the Strait of Hormuz, India alert

New Delhi/Muscat. Tension in the maritime sector has again increased due to the news of damage to a commercial ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Embassy in Oman has confirmed that it is keeping an eye on the incident, saying that it is in touch with local authorities and is continuously monitoring the situation.

In a statement issued on the social media platform ‘X’, the embassy said that information about an incident involving a vessel near Shinas port has been received and detailed information is being collected. Meanwhile, the Indian Forward Seamen Union has shared pictures of smoke from the ship and described it as MT Jalveer.

According to sources, the incident occurred near the Shinas coast in the Gulf of Oman, which is located in the northern part of Oman and very close to the UAE’s sea routes.

The incident comes days after a Palau-flagged commercial ship was also attacked on Tuesday. In that incident, 21 out of 24 sailors were rescued safely, while three are still reported missing. India had lodged a strong protest against this attack.

The Indian Foreign Ministry informed on Wednesday that it has summoned Jason Meeks, Deputy Chief of the US Embassy in New Delhi, and has expressed serious objection on this matter.

On the other hand, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) had claimed that it had taken action on a ship passing in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday evening, which was said to be carrying Iranian oil. However, the ship concerned reported a fire in the engine room and emergency assistance was subsequently called for.

These continuous incidents have increased concerns about maritime security in the entire region. Amid tensions in the Middle East, the security of international shipping routes has once again come under question.