Thai cargo ship called the Mayuree Naree got slammed while heading our way to Kandla port in Gujarat. And India come out swinging with some strong words: we straight-up “deplore” anyone targeting commercial shipping like this.
Black Smoke Over Hormuz: Thai Crew’s Nightmare as Projectiles Strike Merchant Vessel
Photos from the Royal Thai Navy are brutal—thick black smoke pouring out from the back of this big bulk carrier, life rafts bobbing in the water like nobody wants to be there.
Attack in the Strait of Hormuz
The ship left Khalifa Port in the UAE, loaded with whatever normal cargo these guys carry, and was cruising through that super-narrow Strait of Hormuz when bam—projectiles hit. Reports say maybe two of them. Fire broke out, especially bad around the engine room, and the whole thing turned into chaos.
Rescue Operation for the Thai Crew
There were 23 Thai crew on board—all Thai nationals, no Indians this time, thank goodness. But still heartbreaking. Twenty got rescued, mostly by the Omani navy who jumped in fast and pulled them to safety in places like Khasab.
Three are still missing though. Search ops are going on right now, and you can imagine the families back home in Thailand are glued to their phones, praying for good news.
Multiple Ships Targeted in Hormuz Incident
This wasn’t just one ship either. Maritime folks likeUKMTO are saying three vessels got whacked by unknown projectiles that day. The Mayuree Naree was the one right in the strait, about 11 miles north of Oman.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard basically owned up to it, saying the ship ignored warnings and got what was coming. Fits right into this escalating nightmare in West Asia—the ongoing conflict where everyone’s nerves are shot, and shipping lanes are turning into battlegrounds.
India’s Strong Reaction to the Hormuz Ship Attack
Our Ministry of External Affairs didn’t waste time. Late yesterday they dropped a statement:
“We have seen reports about the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Straits of Hormuz on 11 March. The ship was bound for Kandla in India. India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.”
India Warns Against Targeting Commercial Shipping
They didn’t stop there.
“Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing.”
That hits home because yeah, earlier on, Indian seafarers paid the price—some killed, some missing. New Delhi’s basically saying enough is enough: don’t drag innocent merchant ships and their crews into your fight.
Targeting civilians, messing with free navigation, blocking trade—it’s all off-limits.
Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters for the World
The Strait of Hormuz isn’t just some random waterway. It’s the throat of global energy—about 20% of the world’s oil and a ton of LNG squeezes through there every day.
When stuff like this happens, oil prices twitch, insurance for ships goes through the roof, and countries like ours that import so much energy start feeling the squeeze fast.
We’ve already been rerouting stuff, sourcing crude from dozens of places to keep the lights on and factories running. But incidents pile up, and it’s getting scarier.
Rising Tensions in West Asia
Iran’s been talking tough about controlling the strait, even hinting they could shut it down if things get worse. On the flip side, you’ve got the US and others warning that any blockade would bring hell.
President Trump’s been on record saying the war’s winding down because there’s not much left to hit, but clearly, that’s not how it feels on the water right now.
A Wake-Up Call for Global Shipping
India’s line is crystal clear and honestly, pretty much what any sane person would say: protect the innocents, keep the sea lanes open, don’t turn commercial trade into a war zone.
Right now, the focus is on those missing three crew members. The 20 rescued are a bit of light up in this dark story, but overall this is a wake-up call.
When big powers clash, it’s the everyday people on cargo ships who end up in the crossfire. And nobody wins when global trade gets choked.
Sources
- Ministry of External Affairs official statement (mea.gov.in)
- NDTV: “Deplore Targeting Of Commercial Shipping”: India On Hormuz Ship Attack
- Hindustan Times: ‘Deplore the fact’: India condemns attack on Gujarat-bound ship
- The Hindu: India ‘deplores’ attack on Thai ship bound for Gujarat port
- Reuters: Three more vessels hit by projectiles in Strait of Hormuz
- Bangkok Post / Royal Thai Navy updates on Mayuree Naree
- Bloomberg, DW, and UKMTO maritime alerts on the March 11 incidents
