Government confirms six Indian-flagged vessels are currently west of the Strait of Hormuz

There are six Indian flagged vessels in the west of the Strait of Hormuz, and coordinated efforts are on to facilitate evacuation of vessels, parliament was informed on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that two Indian-flagged container vessels—CMA CGM DIAMOND and CMA CGM MANAUS carrying General Cargo—are currently in the region west of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Other than that, there are four Indian-flagged vessels in the region which are engaged in trade in the Gulf region and do not need to exit as on date,” said the ministry, providing information updated till July 17.

The ministry shared the consolidated data, saying 59 vessels, which include 23 Indian-flagged vessels and 36 foreign-flagged vessels, carrying cargo for India, have safely transited the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, 2026.

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A total of 40 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz between July 17 and July 19, averaging just 13 crossings per day, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea analysis.

Traffic remained at depressed levels amid continuing hostilities between the US and Iran, including ongoing US strikes against Iranian targets and Iranian attacks on Gulf states, as well as reports of at least two incidents involving vessels.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported on July 20 that a vessel had been struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. The crew subsequently abandoned the vessel, which was reported to be on fire.

The incident follows another attack reported by UKMTO on July 17, in which a tanker operating approximately 19 nautical miles off Khasab, Oman, was struck by an unidentified projectile, causing minor structural damage to the port side.

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The International Maritime Organization has identified the tanker involved in the July 17 incident as the Marshall Islands-flagged MR vessel IDI, which last loaded at Jubail, Saudi Arabia on July 12. The vessel is believed to have subsequently transited outbound on July 19 and was last observed anchored off Fujairah on July 20.

Daily crossings totalled eight on July 17, 19 on July 18 and 13 on July 19, following 14 transits recorded on July 16. While activity recovered modestly after the July 17 low, overall traffic remained well below levels observed earlier in the month.

“As a result, total crossings for the week ending July 19 fell to 127, equivalent to an average of 18 transits per day. This represents a decline of nearly 50% from the 248 crossings recorded during the previous week ending July 12, highlighting the significant impact of heightened security risks and maritime enforcement measures on vessel movements through the waterway,” said S&P Global Commodities.