India strongly condemned the attack on an Indian-owned cargo vessel near Oman, saying commercial shipping and civilian sailors
May 14, 2026: India on Thursday condemned an attack that sank an Indian-owned cargo vessel in Omani waters, calling the incident “unacceptable” amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia involving the United States and Iran. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said commercial shipping and civilian crew members should not be targeted under any circumstances.
The vessel, identified as the Haji Ali, was reportedly attacked off the coast of Oman while carrying livestock from Somalia to the United Arab Emirates. According to UK-based maritime risk management group Vanguard, the ship was hit by an explosion believed to have been caused by a drone or missile strike. The blast triggered a fire that eventually caused the vessel to sink.
All 14 crew members aboard the ship were rescued safely by Oman’s Coast Guard and taken to Diba port. The incident has raised fresh concerns over maritime security in the region, especially after multiple attacks on Indian-flagged vessels since the start of the US-Iran conflict earlier this year. India had previously lodged an official protest with Iran over similar attacks on commercial ships operating in the region.