India Bound Ship Attacked In Hormuz; 14 Indian Ships Still In Persian Gulf

NEW DELHI– India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 23 said 10 Indian ships have exited the Strait of Hormuz safely in the past few weeks, while 14 Indian ships remain in the Persian Gulf.

Tensions continue in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes, since the conflict erupted in the Middle East.

On April 22, Iran attacked a ship in the Strait of Hormuz that was on its way to Mundra Port in India. The attack came hours after President Donald Trump had announced an indefinite ceasefire.

It was one of two ships that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) said it had attacked and taken over, according to Iranian state-run Press TV. IRGC-N identified the ships as MSC Francesca and Epaminondas.

Two shipping monitoring websites said the Liberian-flagged Epaminondas was on its way to Mundra in Gujarat from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. MarineTraffic.com and VesselFinder.com said the container ship had been scheduled to reach Mundra on April 23.

According to Steamship Mutual, which tracks ship ownership and insurance, the vessel is owned by Greek company Kalmar Maritime LLC.

On April 18, Iran attacked two Indian ships in the Strait after they had received permission to traverse the waterway. (IANS)