India Condemns Attacks on Ships and Saudi Airport

The Ministry of External Affairs of India condemned a series of attacks on commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure in West Asia. On October 11, a drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage, leaving two of its 11 Indian seafarers missing. Simultaneously, the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Valthera was hit by an unknown projectile, causing an onboard fire; all 11 Indian crew members on that vessel were safe. These incidents follow an October 9 drone attack on the MT GEM NO. 2 at Sharjah Anchorage, where all 22 Indian nationals survived.

In Saudi Arabia, the ministry condemned repeated strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, including a major attack on October 10. The assault resulted in at least 13 fatalities, including one Indian national, and over 300 injuries. New Delhi described the attacks on civilian infrastructure as "completely unacceptable" and urged the 2.74 million Indian nationals in the Kingdom to remain vigilant.

The maritime attacks occur amid increased activity by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting vessels in dark mode and retaliatory strikes by the U.S. Navy. While the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have struck the Vietnamese-managed NV Sunshine on October 9, the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration and Nhật Việt Transport Joint Stock Company rejected these reports, confirming the vessel and crew are safe.