Hormuz tanker attack injures crew as Middle East oil exports regain pre-war pace

Eleven Indian sailors were among those injured when a projectile struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, even as Middle East crude exports returned to their pre-war pace. Oman’s air force evacuated 10 crew members from the Panamanian-flagged On Peace after the attack sparked a fire, according to Al Jazeera, citing Omani and Indian officials. The incident puts a human face on the danger facing commercial shipping while oil continues to move through the region.

The tanker was hit on Tuesday, 9 nautical miles, or about 17 kilometres, off Limah, an Omani port city, Oman’s Ministry of Defence said. Those evacuated were taken to Khasab hospital in Musandam governorate for treatment. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said at least 12 of the vessel’s 19 crew members were injured. Seventeen people aboard were Indian nationals, including 11 of the injured. The two ministries’ accounts give separate figures for the evacuation and the overall injury toll.

Sailors bear the cost of repeated attacks

India called for attacks on shipping to stop immediately, saying they threatened peace and stability in the region. Its concern reaches beyond this single vessel: the country is one of the world’s largest suppliers of sailors to merchant shipping. The latest injuries add to a series of casualties among Indian seafarers since the United States and Israel began their war on Iran in late February.

“The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern for India,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.

The Indian government said in July that at least 10 Indian seafarers had been killed since the war began. An attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz in September killed another Indian sailor. Separately, shipping intelligence service Marisks reported at least seven other incidents involving tankers over the past week, indicating that the On Peace attack was not an isolated disruption.

Iran effectively closed the waterway after the war started on February 28, Al Jazeera reported. It has repeatedly attacked commercial ships that do not follow its designated route through the strait and has said it wants to charge vessels for passage. The account of the On Peace incident did not identify who launched the projectile that struck the tanker.

Oil flows recover, but prices stay elevated

Despite the repeated attacks, Middle East oil exports have risen to levels seen before the war. Provisional figures from data firm Kpler put the seven-day moving average of crude exports—a measure that smooths daily changes—at 18.3 million barrels a day on September 30. That compares with an average of about 18 million barrels a day during the 12 months before the conflict.

The recovery in shipments has not brought oil prices back to their earlier levels. Brent crude futures, contracts for buying or selling the international oil benchmark at a future date, rose to $101.51 a barrel on Tuesday. They stood at $72.48 the day before the war began. The next test is whether the restored export pace can hold alongside continued attacks, with crew safety and the movement of tankers through the strait remaining central concerns.