Gunfire and a Mid-Sea Chase: How Iran Abducted 16 Indian Sailors in International Waters

What began as a routine maritime voyage quickly turned into a nightmare on December 8 last year. Captain Vinod Parmar received a distressing phone call from his brother, Captain Vijay Kumar, who was commanding the oil tanker Valiant Roar near the United Arab Emirates. His voice shaking with fear, Captain Kumar said Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels were chasing the tanker in international waters. Moments later, the line went dead.

According to testimonies shared by families of the seafarers, what followed was unprovoked gunfire by Iranian forces, the violent seizure of the vessel, and the disappearance of 10 crew members. More than six weeks later, the detained sailors remain cut off from their families and the outside world, with Iran’s worsening internal unrest only heightening anxieties back home.

India Today spoke to multiple families of the Indian crew members, for whom each passing day has become an agonising wait. Weeks have gone by with limited information from authorities, and little visible progress from either the Indian government or the Indian embassy in Iran. The internet blackout imposed amid nationwide protests against Iran’s Khamenei-led regime — unrest that has reportedly left nearly 3,000 people dead — has further complicated communication.

With no other recourse, the families have approached the Delhi High Court by filing a writ petition. The court has since directed the Centre to submit a status report on the matter.

Voyage Turns Into a Nightmare

The ordeal began on the afternoon of December 8, 2025, when the Valiant Roar was sailing in international waters near Dibba Port in the UAE. The tanker is operated by Dubai-based Glory International FZ LLC. According to Captain Parmar, this was the vessel’s first voyage after being docked alongside its sister ship, MT Coral Wave, due to a technical issue.

The crew comprised 18 members — 16 Indians, one Sri Lankan, and one Bangladeshi. The tanker was heading toward Khor Fakkan in the UAE to seek further technical assistance when the captain realised they were being pursued by IRGC vessels, despite being in international waters.

Anil Kumar Singh, the ship’s chief officer, was among those on board. His wife, Gayatri, recalled the terrifying moment when he called her around 3 pm that day. “When I spoke to him earlier, everything was normal. Later, he called again in panic, saying the Iranian navy was chasing them. I could hear gunshots in the background. Then the call disconnected,” she told India Today.

According to accounts relayed to Captain Parmar by his brother, the firing caused visible damage to the tanker and injured several crew members. Iranian naval personnel later boarded the vessel, assaulted the crew, and took them hostage.

Iran accused the ship of smuggling six million litres of fuel. However, Captain Parmar maintains the tanker was carrying very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), supported by analytical reports that Iranian authorities allegedly rejected before forcibly diverting the vessel to Bandar-e-Jask, a strategically important port on the Gulf of Oman.

Squeezed Into One Room, Phones Seized

Conditions worsened after the seizure. All 18 crew members were confined to a single mess room and were allowed to use the restroom only under armed guard, according to relatives. Iranian authorities confiscated all electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops. Only the ship’s captain was permitted to make brief daily calls lasting a few minutes.

Families say Iranian officials have not issued formal detention orders or clearly stated the legal grounds for the seizure. Both India and Iran are signatories to the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention, which guarantees the rights and protections of seafarers — a point the families say has been completely ignored.

On December 12, the families contacted India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) with limited information. The matter was subsequently taken up with the Indian embassy in Tehran and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which acknowledged the situation and said efforts were underway to secure the sailors’ release.

On December 17, families were advised by the Indian embassy in Tehran to approach the consulate in Bandar Abbas, which has jurisdiction over Bandar-e-Jask. However, repeated requests for consular access were denied by Iranian authorities.

The situation took a more alarming turn on January 6, when 10 of the 18 crew members were taken off the ship under the pretext of recording statements. Instead, they were detained and imprisoned in Bandar Abbas. Among them were chief officer Anil Singh, the second engineer, and several junior engineers.

That night, Singh managed a one-minute call to his wife, saying he and nine others had been jailed on what he described as fabricated smuggling charges. There has been no contact since.

Families Desperate as Crisis Drags On

“My son has written to the PMO 20 to 25 times asking for help, but we’ve received no response,” Gayatri said, breaking down. “I haven’t slept properly in the last one-and-a-half months.” Her only plea, she says, is for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to hear their appeal.

Other families remain in complete darkness. Shivani Mehta, sister of third engineer Ketan Mehta, said they had no contact with him since the ship was seized. “We only learned he was arrested when the ship’s operator informed US in January,” she said. Ketan, the eldest sibling and the family’s sole breadwinner, supports a mother with a serious heart condition who had to be hospitalised after the news.

Meanwhile, the eight crew members still aboard the tanker are reportedly running dangerously low on supplies. According to Captain Parmar, they are surviving on rice and dal, with Iranian authorities providing only water. “Food will last just two or three more days,” he said, quoting his brother’s last message.

The prolonged detention, combined with Iran’s escalating internal turmoil and fears of regional conflict, has taken a severe psychological toll on the crew, families say.

The MEA announced on Thursday that preparations are underway to assist Indian nationals stranded in Iran, with evacuation flights likely to be arranged soon. For the families of the detained sailors, the hope remains that their loved ones will be among those finally brought home.