Three Indian sailors killed after hit by Iranian missiles

Three Indian sailors, including Captain Ashish Kumar of the Skylight oil tanker that was hit by an Iranian projectile on Sunday at the Strait of Hormuz, died, The Hindu reported on Thursday.

The oil tanker with 15 Indian nationals and five Iranian seafarers on board was hit by an Iranian missile on March 1.

Detailing the attack, Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said Skylight was subjected to an attack around five nautical miles north of the port of Khasab in the Musandam governorate.

Skylight was included on the US government sanctions list in December of 2025.

Indian officials confirmed that four incidents involving Indian seafarers have been reported in the region - including three deaths and one injury. The sailors were working aboard foreign-flagged vessels.

The ongoing US-Iran conflict has rattled global shipping routes around the Strait of Hormuz. At least five oil tankers have reportedly suffered damage, with 150 ships currently stranded around the Strait.

The disruption has forced several global container lines to halt services, with many vessels being diverted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing both travel time and operational costs.

India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, after the Philippines and China. At any given time, nearly 23,000 Indian seafarers remain deployed on ships across the West Asian waters.