A container ship is seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo)
Twenty-two Indian seafarers are on board two of the three container ships that came under Iranian fire in the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, a senior official of the Shipping Ministry said Thursday, adding that they are unhurt and safe.
Panama-flagged container ship Euphoria, stranded east of the Strait after being attacked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, has 21 Indians on board.
Another Indian seafarer is on board the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, seized by the Iranian forces along with Panama-flagged MSC Francesca. Epaminondas was indicating Mundra port in Gujarat as its destination when it was fired upon and seized by the Iranians.
Shipping Ministry Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal said, “Although none of the Indian vessels came under fire, we were worried for the Indian seafarers on these vessels. I am happy to inform you that none of the Indian seafarers have been injured in the firing on those foreign-flagged vessels. One vessel, Euphoria, has 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe. There was another vessel, Epaminondas. That vessel has one Indian seafarer and he is also safe. All Indian seafarers in the region are safe.”
Asked whether the Indian government has been in touch with the Iranian authorities regarding the safety and welfare of the lone Indian seafarer on the seized vessel Epaminondas, Mangal said, “We have spoken with the authorities concerned and he is safe.”
Given that the vessel is foreign-flagged and foreign-owned, the Indian government, he said, cannot share too many details on the status of the ship at this stage, except for the fact that the Indian seafarer on board the vessel is safe and sound.
As of Thursday evening India time, Euphoria was close to the UAE and Oman to the southeast of the Strait of Hormuz while Epaminondas and MSC Francesca were close to the Iranian coast, according to ship-tracking data from maritime data and intelligence firm MarineTraffic.
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According to international shipping databases, Epaminondas is managed and operated by Greece-based companies. The vessel is a Post-Panamax container ship, and has a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of about 95,000 tonnes. Deadweight tonnage is the total weight a vessel can carry, including cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, and crew.
The attacks, which heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz area, appeared to be in retaliation to the seizure of a few Iranian oil tankers while attempting to slip through the US blockade of Iran’s ports.
On Thursday,US forces seized another Iran-linked tanker in the Indian Ocean. The US has also claimed that its forces in the region forced the diversion of numerous ships attempting to either leave or enter Iranian ports. Iran has condemned the US blockade, calling it “armed piracy” and a breach of the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Last Saturday, Iranian gunboats fired at two India-flagged ships as they tried to exit the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels, oil tanker Sanmar Herald and bulk carrier Jag Arnav, turned back into the Persian Gulf after coming under fire.
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Scores of commercial vessels with thousands of seafarers have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the West Asia war began on February 28 as vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz came to a halt. The Strait is among the world’s most critical chokepoints for energy supplies, and accounts for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows.
