Indian mariner killed after oil tanker on Gulf of Oman hit by bomb via drone boat

An Indian mariner who was on board a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman was killed on Monday after a bomb-carrying drone boat struck the vessel, AP reported.

The Indian citizen was on board the MKD Vyom, which was attacked off the coast of Muscat. This was the first Indian casualty in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The Indian Embassy in Oman said it is in close coordination with local authorities “to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel”.

The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom.

The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel.

We…— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat) March 2, 2026

It was not immediately clear who launched the attack. However, Iran is believed to have launched have several attacks on vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.

Iran shares control of the strait with the Musandam Peninsula of Oman.

West Asia has been mired in conflict since February 28, when Israel and the United States launched an operation...

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