RPF fired, panic on board: Moment when ship with 21 Indians was attacked by Iranian naval forces | VIDEO

were once again caught in the crossfire with the US-Iran conflict raging in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz being a key battleground, which has led to several casualties due to missile and drone attacks while maritime traffic remains disrupted.

And in one of the recent chain of events in the Iran war, the dangers faced by Indian seafarers operating in waters once again came to light after the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) released footage of what it described as a "tense confrontation" involving a vessel carrying 22 crew members, including 21 Indians, in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22.

In a post on X, the union said the vessel came under pressure from boats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to FSUI, the footage shows several small boats surrounding the vessel, an RPG being fired and crew members taking cover inside the ship.

"These were not pirates. They were naval forces of the IRGC," the union said, arguing that advisories and safety guidelines alone cannot adequately protect civilian crews operating in a conflict zone.

The incident is among a growing number of maritime confrontations since the US-Israel war against Iran began, with Indian seafarers repeatedly finding themselves at risk.

On April 22, Iran said its forces had seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said two of the three foreign-flagged vessels fired upon by Iranian forces that day had 22 Indian seafarers aboard, while at least one Indian seafarer was among the crew of a vessel taken into Iranian custody. The government said all the seafarers were safe.

The dangers have persisted beyond the April incidents. In June, three Indian sailors were killed when US forces struck Indian-crewed commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. India subsequently urged Washington to stop attacks on shipping and summoned a US official over the strikes.

By July, reports indicated that the number of Indian seafarers killed in US and Iranian attacks on vessels in and around the Strait had risen to eight. At least 10 civilian ships carrying Indian seafarers were reportedly targeted since the conflict began.

Indian crews have also faced prolonged uncertainty even when their vessels were not directly attacked. An Indian tanker captain recently described spending 75 days stranded in the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew members and 1,10,000 tonnes of oil on board. He recounted the psychological strain of living through a conflict while missiles flew overhead.

The wider maritime crisis has also sharply disrupted shipping through the strategic waterway. Reuters reported that only five commodity vessels crossed the Strait on a recent Saturday, while none crossed the following Sunday, compared with more than 130 daily ship transits before the war.

The humanitarian impact has been substantial, with more than 20,000 seafarers reportedly trapped in the Gulf since the conflict began. Crew members aboard vessels caught in the crisis have described their conditions as being akin to being “in prison”.

The crisis is particularly significant for India, which has a large seafaring workforce. Indian nationals account for a substantial share of crews on merchant vessels operating international routes, making disruptions in one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints a direct human-security concern for the country.

FSUI has argued that the repeated incidents demonstrate the limitations of relying solely on navigational advisories and voluntary safety measures. The union has called for an assured naval presence to protect Indian seafarers and commercial vessels operating through conflict-affected waters.