2 months ago
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The onslaught connected Skylight, a tanker with 15 Indian and 5 Iranian seafarers connected board, has brought to the fore the risks to Indian seafarers serving connected ships successful the Persian Gulf way arsenic good arsenic those flagged arsenic shadiness fleet by the U.S.
Three ships person been reportedly attacked truthful acold since the latest circular of hostilities began. Ship postulation done the Strait of Hormuz has crushed to a halt connected March 1, 2026, portion immoderate 60 to 70 ships had transited successful the erstwhile day.
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said Skylight was subjected to an onslaught astir 5 nautical miles northbound of the larboard of Khasab successful the Musandam governorate, according to Oman quality agency.
The full unit of 20 individuals, comprising 15 Indian nationals and 5 Iranians, person been safely evacuated, it said. It said 4 unit members sustained injuries of varying degrees and person been fixed aesculapian care.
Skylight was included connected the U.S. authorities sanctions database successful December of 2025. Sanctions typically pb to companies being incapable to bash fiscal transactions oregon adjacent bash business, starring to wages of seafarers not being paid. It leads to overmuch distress among seafarers, adjacent abandonment of ships. Repatriation of seafarers to their location nations becomes a occupation too.
International Federation of Transport Workers (ITF) information shows that 6,223 seafarers were abandoned crossed 410 ships successful 2025. In presumption of nationality, India had the astir abandoned seafarers with 1,125, followed by the Philippines (539), Syria (309), Indonesia (274) and Ukraine (248).
An investigation of Lloyd’s List Intelligence information alongside the ITF shows that the bulk of abandonments connected tankers and LPG carriers successful 2025 occurred connected shadiness fleet vessels, says Joshua Minchin, elder newsman with Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
An ITF spokesperson said: “Indian seafarers correspond a important proportionality of the world’s seafarers moving successful the merchant fleet, and each efforts indispensable ever beryllium undertaken to guarantee that they are ne'er beryllium placed successful harm’s mode – the ITF and its affiliate unions are moving astir the timepiece to verify the information and information of each the seafarers we collectively represent.”
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) of India has issued strict advisories restricting Indian seafarers from joining oregon being enactment connected enactment successful ships successful Iran. Manning companies are prohibited from recruiting and sending Indian seafarers to Iran portion utmost caution is advised for joining immoderate vas scheduled to transit done Strait of Hormuz.
Anil Devli, CEO of the Indian National Shipowners’ Association has said determination are 27 Indian emblem ships successful the portion with a bulk of them successful the Persian Gulf and immoderate successful the Gulf of Aden region. Many of the Indian tankers caught successful the portion are laden with Crude Oil oregon LPG and the remainder are waiting to load the vigor imports of India which are truthful important for america arsenic a country. Mr. Devli asks that the authorities uses its bully offices to Iran and Israel to guarantee harmless question of Indian emblem ships.
