Indian ship sinks in Red Sea after attack near Yemen

An Indian-flagged commercial ship, the MSV Faize Noore Oliya, sank in the Red Sea on Tuesday following an attack, according to a local official in the Yemeni city of Mokha. The Indian coastguard rescued the 14 crew members, consisting of 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni, after the vessel was hit near Yemeni waters, a statement from Mokha's official revealed.

Yemen's internationally recognized government attributed the attack to Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as reported by the Saba news agency. The vessel's sinking occurred in the vicinity of the port city of Hodeida, where the Houthis had recently declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter. Since the blockade, the Houthis have claimed multiple attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure.

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on social media that the ship was targeted by a projectile. "India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack," he added, emphasizing the importance of ending the targeting of commercial shipping in the region. The Indian foreign ministry spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal, echoed this sentiment, stating that the targeting of commercial shipping must cease.

The Red Sea has become a critical shipping lane for India, which has over 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, the largest contingent among global contributors to merchant shipping. The Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu plays a vital role in enabling India's shipping lanes by circumventing the Saudi blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.