Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: An Indian crew member was killed after a US-owned crude oil tanker, Safesea Vishnu, came under attack by Iran near Basra in Iraq on March 11. The remaining 15 Indian crew members on board were evacuated safely and moved to a secure location, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad said.
The attack took place in the Persian Gulf, where another oil tanker was also reported to have caught fire after being struck in Iraq’s territorial waters. Iran has claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that an underwater drone strike had targeted the vessels.
According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the operation involved underwater drones that “blew up two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf”. The vessels that were attacked were the Maltese-flagged tanker Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu. The Safesea Vishnu is owned by the US-based company Safesea Transport Inc., while the owner of the tanker Zefyros is based in Greece.
Following the incident, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad said it was in continuous contact with Iraqi authorities and the rescued Indian sailors.
“On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member unfortunately lost his life. The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place,” the Indian Embassy in Baghdad said in a post on X.
The embassy also confirmed that it was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with authorities to ensure the safety of the evacuated crew members.
