MT ST 3 Tanker Hit in Strait of Hormuz; 15 Indian Crew Safe

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | Published October 17, 2026

A crude oil tanker carrying 15 Indian seafarers was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, India's Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced, in the latest attack on commercial shipping through the world's most important energy chokepoint.

All 15 Indian crew members aboard the MT ST 3 are safe and were not injured, Sonowal said in a post on X. "We are continuously monitoring both situations and remain in close contact with the ship management companies to ensure the ongoing security and wellbeing of our crew members," he said.

The strike, reported by India's ANI news agency early Saturday, is part of a sharp escalation in attacks on merchant vessels in the strait, where The National reported that assaults have surged to a record high and at least two ships have been sunk. The same report said the strikes, which it attributed to Iran, have driven crude oil prices above $100 a barrel in the United States.

MT ST 3 tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz

According to Sonowal's announcement, the MT ST 3 was hit by a projectile on October 16 while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The minister confirmed the vessel is a crude oil tanker and that its entire complement of 15 Indian seafarers escaped without injury.

The announcement was the headline item in a broader update Sonowal issued on Friday covering Indian crew members caught up in a string of recent maritime incidents. In total, he said 24 Indian nationals across two vessels in the latest incidents are completely safe, with no casualties or injuries.

Second vessel hit off Romania

Alongside the Hormuz strike, Sonowal said the chemical tanker YARA J, carrying nine Indian seafarers, was hit by a drone at Sulina Anchorage in Romania on October 14. All nine crew members are safe, he said.

The YARA J incident adds a second theatre to the pattern: commercial vessels are now being hit both in the Strait of Hormuz and in waters near Romania, widening the geography of risk for merchant shipping.

India condemns attacks at the UN

The announcements came a day after India used the United Nations Security Council's quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East to condemn the attacks in strong terms. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, called the strikes on maritime navigation and commercial shipping "legally and morally indefensible" and demanded protection for seafarers, including Indian nationals.

Parvathaneni called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities and urged all parties to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, ANI reported. He said attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must cease, and that freedom of navigation and the safe, unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways must be upheld in accordance with international law.

"The safety and security of seafarers remains a priority for Government of India and these recurring attacks risk further aggravation of a very volatile situation," the envoy told the Council.

A widening pattern of strikes on merchant ships

The MT ST 3 strike is the latest in a rapid succession of attacks on commercial vessels in recent weeks:

• MT On Peace: Earlier this month, a vessel owned by Dubai shipping company Onex was struck by a projectile in the strait. Twelve crew members were injured, including 11 Indians, according to a statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs.
• GFS Pride: A Singapore-registered container ship caught fire and sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after being struck by an unidentified projectile. All 21 crew were evacuated safely with no injuries reported, Singapore's maritime authority said.
• MT Petro Dolphin: The Nicaragua-flagged tanker was subjected to a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage on October 11. Of its 11 Indian seafarers, nine were rescued and are safe; two remain missing, with search-and-rescue operations under way by the local Coast Guard, Sonowal said.
• M/T Valthera: The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on October 11, setting off a fire onboard. All 11 Indian seafarers aboard are safe.
• MT GEM NO. 2: The Panama-flagged crude oil tanker was subjected to a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage on October 9. All 22 Indian nationals aboard are safe.

Who is behind the attacks?

No group has been named in Sonowal's announcements as responsible for the MT ST 3 strike, and the perpetrator has not been officially confirmed by the sources reporting it. The National reported that the strikes in the strait have been attributed to Iran, and further reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has used drones, missiles and sea mines in the waterway to choke off exports and drive up oil prices in a bid to exert economic pressure on the US.

Those attributions come from the outlet's reporting and have not been independently confirmed by an official investigation in the sources reviewed for this article. Readers should treat them as reported claims, not established fact. For background on the strait's closure earlier this week, see our report on Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz again after Israeli strikes.

Why it matters

The Strait of Hormuz is the jugular vein of the global oil trade, and each new strike tightens the pressure on energy markets. The National reported that US crude prices have climbed above $100 a barrel as the attacks mounted — a level that feeds directly into fuel costs, inflation and household budgets far beyond the Gulf. For India, the stakes are personal as well as economic: dozens of its seafarers have been aboard targeted vessels this month alone, which is why New Delhi has taken its case to the Security Council. With ships now sinking in the strait, insurers, shippers and governments are all recalculating the risk of every transit.

What happens next

India's shipping ministry says it is monitoring both incidents and coordinating with ship management companies on crew welfare. The two missing Indian seafarers from the MT Petro Dolphin remain the subject of an active search-and-rescue operation by the local Coast Guard. Diplomatically, India's call at the Security Council for de-escalation and dialogue sets up further debate over protecting commercial shipping — but with the US-Iran war grinding on and the strait itself periodically closed, the near-term outlook for merchant traffic is more danger, not less. For the wider market picture, see our earlier coverage of oil prices surging above $105 on Hormuz attacks.

Key Takeaways

• The crude oil tanker MT ST 3 was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on October 16; all 15 Indian seafarers aboard are safe and uninjured, India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced.
• A second vessel, the chemical tanker YARA J, was hit by a drone off Romania on October 14; its nine Indian crew members are also safe.
• India condemned the attacks at the UN Security Council as "legally and morally indefensible," demanding protection for seafarers and freedom of navigation.
• The strike follows a string of recent vessel attacks, including the MT On Peace, the sunken GFS Pride, the MT Petro Dolphin (two Indians still missing), the M/T Valthera and the MT GEM NO. 2.
• The National reported the strait attacks have been attributed to Iran and that US crude has risen above $100 a barrel; the attribution is a reported claim, not an officially confirmed finding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to the MT ST 3?

The crude oil tanker MT ST 3 was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, October 16, 2026. India's Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced the strike in a post on X, confirming that all 15 Indian seafarers aboard are safe and suffered no injuries.

Were there any casualties in the MT ST 3 attack?

No. Sonowal confirmed that all 15 Indian nationals aboard the MT ST 3 are completely safe with no injuries. He said Indian authorities are monitoring the situation and coordinating with the ship management company to ensure the crew's ongoing safety and wellbeing.

What is the YARA J incident?

In the same announcement, Sonowal said the chemical tanker YARA J, carrying nine Indian seafarers, was hit by a drone at Sulina Anchorage in Romania on October 14. All nine crew members are safe. The incident shows the threat to commercial shipping now extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

How has India responded to the tanker attacks?

India strongly condemned attacks on maritime navigation and commercial shipping at the UN Security Council's quarterly open debate on the Middle East. Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni called such strikes "legally and morally indefensible," demanded protection for seafarers, and urged de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.

Who is blamed for the Strait of Hormuz tanker strikes?

No perpetrator has been officially confirmed in the sources for this article. The National reported that the strikes have been attributed to Iran and that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has used drones, missiles and sea mines in the strait. Treat that attribution as a reported claim rather than an established fact.

How have the attacks affected oil prices?

The National reported that US crude oil prices have risen above $100 a barrel as attacks on vessels in the strait surged to a record high, with at least two ships sunk. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route for global energy supplies, so disruptions there quickly feed into world fuel prices.

Are other Indian seafarers still at risk?

Yes. Two Indian nationals remain missing after the October 11 drone attack on the MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage, with search-and-rescue operations under way. Sonowal has said India's government is continuously monitoring all the incidents and stays in close contact with ship management companies.

Sources

• The Tribune (ANI wire), "24 Indian seafarers safe after tanker incidents in Strait of Hormuz, Romania," October 17, 2026 — tribuneindia.com
• The National, "Oil tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz, says Indian ports minister," October 16, 2026 — thenationalnews.com
• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, posts on X (via ANI and The National reporting)
• India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, remarks at the UNSC quarterly open debate on the Middle East (via ANI)