India summons Iran envoy after attack on oil tanker in Hormuz

Indian ship ‘Sanmar Herald’ is attacked while crossing Strait of Hormuz, source says; crew and vessel are safe

India on Saturday summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi for a meeting with the foreign secretary following a shooting incident earlier in the day involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Iranian envoy was called in for discussions with the foreign secretary in the evening.

Our statement regarding Iran ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/05hycXPgJ6 pic.twitter.com/HwhqdNL9M8

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 18, 2026

“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,” it said.

The statement underscored the importance India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners, and recalled that Iran had previously facilitated the safe passage of several vessels bound for India.

Reiterating concern over what it described as a serious incident of firing on merchant ships, the foreign secretary urged the ambassador to convey India’s views to Iranian authorities and to resume, at the earliest, the process of facilitating India-bound vessels through the strait.

The Iranian ambassador, the statement added, undertook to convey these views to the authorities in Tehran.

Earlier, an Indian government source confirmed that an Indian-flagged vessel carrying crude oil was attacked on Saturday while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

The vessel was ⁠identified as the Sanmar Herald, the source said, adding that the crew on board and the vessel were safe.

At least two merchant vessels said they were hit by gunfire ⁠as they ⁠attempted to cross ⁠the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Reuters had reported earlier today.

Read: Iran reimposes control over Strait of Hormuz as ships report gunfire

According to tanker monitoring service data, two Indian ships were “forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz” by the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The report was based on two Channel 16 (VHF 156.8 MHz) recordings — the international maritime distress and calling channel — TankerTrackers said on X.

"Firing was involved. One of the vessels is an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil," it added.

According to two Channel 16 audio recordings captured today, two Indian vessels were forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran's Sepah (IRGC) Navy. Firing was involved. One of the vessels is an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.… pic.twitter.com/c1uOvmKDNO

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) April 18, 2026

The report followed an IRGC joint command statement earlier in the day claiming that the Strait of Hormuz had returned to its “previous state” under the control of Iran’s armed forces, citing the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the strait “completely open” for all commercial vessels.

United States President Donald Trump had ⁠also said that Iran had agreed to open the ⁠strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.

More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after the 50-day blockade was lifted, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions and fired at some vessels.