A Togo-flagged chemical tanker carrying 12 Indian crew members came under fire from the Iranian Coast Guard near the coast of Oman on April 25, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed at a press briefing on Monday. The vessel, MT Siron, was navigating near the outer port limits of Shinas — a port town on Oman’s Gulf of Oman coast — when Iranian Coast Guard units fired warning shots. Despite the escalation, all 12 Indian crew members were reported safe. MoPSW Director Mandeep Singh Randhawa stated that the Ministry is in constant contact with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders, and that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe.
The MT Siron incident is the latest in a rapid sequence of IRGC and Iranian Coast Guard actions against commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade of Iranian ports was activated on April 13. Indian-flagged vessels were fired upon on April 18 — prompting India’s Foreign Secretary to summon Iran’s ambassador — and an MSC-operated container ship with European crew was seized on April 24. The pattern of Iranian maritime aggression against commercial vessels shows no sign of abating as the diplomatic track remains stalled.
CENTCOM Has Now Turned Back 38 Ships
The US Central Command confirmed separately on Monday that American forces have instructed at least 38 ships to turn back or return to port as part of the ongoing maritime restrictive operation enforcing the blockade on Iranian ports — a figure that quantifies the scale of the commercial shipping disruption being directly caused by the US naval operation. Each vessel turned back represents a cargo delivery that has been delayed, a commodity supply chain that has been disrupted, and a commercial relationship that has been strained. The 38 ships include tankers, container vessels, and bulk carriers from multiple flag states that were en route to Iranian port calls.
Iran FM Araghchi Flies to Moscow for Putin Talks
On the diplomatic front, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow for high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday — a visit that signals Iran’s escalating engagement with Russia as the US pressure campaign intensifies and direct US-Iran negotiations remain stalled since the collapse of the Islamabad talks on April 12. Russia has consistently opposed the US military campaign against Iran and the naval blockade, and the Araghchi-Putin meeting is expected to focus on coordinating a diplomatic response to the blockade, discussing energy cooperation under the sanctions-constrained environment, and exploring whether Russia can facilitate a back-channel communication with the US that the Oman mediation track has not so far delivered. For global shipping, the Tehran-Moscow diplomatic axis adds another layer of geopolitical complexity to an already dangerous maritime situation.
