India’s foreign ministry described the incident as “unacceptable,” saying commercial shipping and civilian mariners continued to face threats amid heightened regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said all Indian crew members aboard the vessel had been rescued safely by Omani authorities but did not identify the ship or specify who New Delhi believed was responsible for the attack.Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the MSV Hajj Ali, a wooden cargo dhow carrying 14 crew members.

The company said it received reports that the ship sank off Limah, Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, after a suspected explosion.According to Vanguard, the vessel was transporting livestock from Berbera in Somaliland to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when it was apparently struck by what was believed to be a drone or missile.

A fire reportedly broke out onboard, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel before it sank, the company said.Ship-tracking platform Maritime Traffic lists the MSV Hajj Ali as a 54-meter wooden dhow commonly used in regional cargo trade across Gulf and Arabian Sea routes.

Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of war involving Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran has imposed extensive restrictions on maritime movement through the waterway, while the United States has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports despite a ceasefire agreed in early April.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during normal operating conditions, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets and import-dependent economies such as India.

“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the foreign ministry added.The incident occurred as India hosted foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc in New Delhi, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking during the summit, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial traffic provided vessels coordinated with Iranian naval authorities, though he did not directly address the attack on the Indian vessel.

India’s foreign ministry described the incident as “unacceptable,” saying commercial shipping and civilian mariners continued to face threats amid heightened regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said all Indian crew members aboard the vessel had been rescued safely by Omani authorities but did not identify the ship or specify who New Delhi believed was responsible for the attack.

Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the MSV Hajj Ali, a wooden cargo dhow carrying 14 crew members. The company said it received reports that the ship sank off Limah, Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, after a suspected explosion.

According to Vanguard, the vessel was transporting livestock from Berbera in Somaliland to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when it was apparently struck by what was believed to be a drone or missile.A fire reportedly broke out onboard, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel before it sank, the company said.

Ship-tracking platform Maritime Traffic lists the MSV Hajj Ali as a 54-meter wooden dhow commonly used in regional cargo trade across Gulf and Arabian Sea routes.Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of war involving Iran on Feb. 28.

Tehran has imposed extensive restrictions on maritime movement through the waterway, while the United States has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports despite a ceasefire agreed in early April.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during normal operating conditions, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets and import-dependent economies such as India.

“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the foreign ministry added.The incident occurred as India hosted foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc in New Delhi, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking during the summit, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial traffic provided vessels coordinated with Iranian naval authorities, though he did not directly address the attack on the Indian vessel.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, would become the country’s first official envoy to Somaliland.

The move follows Israel’s December 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland’s independence, making it the first nation to do so since the territory declared autonomy from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali state during civil war.

Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.The diplomatic expansion comes after formal relations were established between the two sides in December and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January, a trip that drew sharp criticism from Somalia.

In February, Somaliland appointed Mohamed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel, signaling reciprocal diplomatic recognition.Somaliland, which has its own government, currency, passport and military, occupies a strategic location along the Gulf of Aden near one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

Despite operating with de facto independence for more than three decades, it has struggled to gain broad international recognition, largely due to concerns that formal recognition could destabilize Somalia and encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Africa.

Somalia has consistently rejected Somaliland’s sovereignty claims and condemned Israeli engagement with the territory.Following Sa’ar’s January visit, Mogadishu described the trip as an “unauthorized incursion” and reaffirmed its position that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.

The diplomatic breakthrough with Israel marks one of Somaliland’s most significant international gains since its self-declared independence, potentially reshaping regional alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor.

The development also carries wider geopolitical significance as global powers compete for influence across strategic shipping routes linking the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Israel has not detailed whether it plans to open a full embassy in Hargeisa, but the ambassadorial appointment signals a formal institutional expansion of relations between the two sides.