Attack on oil tanker ‘Skylight’ highlights risks to Indian seafarers in Persian Gulf route

The attack on oil tanker 'Skylight' underscores the dangers facing Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf amid rising hostilities.

The attack on Skylight, a tanker with 15 Indian and 5 Iranian seafarers on board, has brought to the fore the risks to Indian seafarers serving on ships in the Persian Gulf route as well as those flagged as shadow fleet by the U.S.

Three ships have been reportedly attacked so far since the latest round of hostilities began. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt on March 1, 2026, while some 60 to 70 ships had transited in the previous day.

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said Skylight was subjected to an attack around 5 nautical miles north of the port of Khasab in the Musandam governorate, according to Oman news agency.

The entire crew of 20 individuals, comprising 15 Indian nationals and five Iranians, have been safely evacuated, it said. It said four crew members sustained injuries of varying degrees and have been given medical care.

Skylight was included on the U.S. government sanctions list in December of 2025. Sanctions typically lead to companies being unable to do financial transactions or even do business, leading to wages of seafarers not being paid. It leads to much distress among seafarers, even abandonment of ships. Repatriation of seafarers to their home nations becomes a problem too.

International Federation of Transport Workers (ITF) data shows that 6,223 seafarers were abandoned across 410 ships in 2025. In terms of nationality, India had the most abandoned seafarers with 1,125, followed by the Philippines (539), Syria (309), Indonesia (274) and Ukraine (248).