- By Nidhi Giri
- Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:24 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Two Indian ships were forced to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz after gunfire from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) north of Oman. In a viral audio message, a mariner from Sanmar Herald, one of the two tankers, can be heard clarifying to Iran that firing was done despite being granted clearance for the India-flagged vessel to pass through the Strait.
The escalation on Saturday came after Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday but then moved to reimpose restrictions the next day. Vessel tracking platform, TankerTrackers.com said one of the ships was a supertanker carrying around 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. It is reported that no one was injured, and the vessels also didn't sustain damage.
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'My Name Second On Your List': India-Flagged Ship
The viral audio of the mariner from Sanmar Herald goes like - “You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back.”
Audio of the Indian oil tanker Sanmar Herald pleading with Iranian forces to stop shooting at it in the Strait of Hormuz this morning. pic.twitter.com/7Y5n7Jb7o0
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 18, 2026
MEA Summons Iranian Ambassador To India
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday summoned the Iranian ambassador to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali following reports of firing incidents at two ships in Strait of Hormuz. During the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India’s deep concern over the shooting incident. He urged the Iranian side to convey India’s position to its authorities and to resume, at the earliest, the process of ensuring safe passage for India-bound ships through the Strait.
In a statement, the MEA noted, "The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi was called in by the Ministry of External Affairs for a meeting with Foreign Secretary this evening. During the meeting, Foreign Secretary conveyed India's deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz." The Iranian ambassador reportedly assured that he would convey these concerns to the relevant authorities in Tehran.