An Indian crew member is missing after Iranian forces struck the merchant container vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman on the night of July 11, igniting a fire that crippled the ship's engine room and forced it to halt. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported the incident at 2240 GMT roughly 16.7 kilometres east of Oman, noting that local authorities rescued surviving crew after they fled to a lifeboat.
US Central Command stated the vessel was attacked by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's IRGC confirmed it fired a warning shot at a vessel attempting an unauthorised route through the strait, which it subsequently declared closed, and acknowledged the round struck the ship.
Of the 11 Indian nationals aboard, ten were rescued while one remains unaccounted for. India's foreign ministry condemned the strike and is coordinating with Omani authorities to search for the missing sailor.