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Indians among those injured in Iranian strikes, says UAE

March 01, 2026 5 min read International Relations Internal Security GS2 (India's Foreign Policy Diaspora Protection) and GS3 (Energy Security Maritime Security)
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What Happened

  • As Iran launched retaliatory strikes against US and Israeli targets in the Gulf following the February 28, 2026 airstrikes, several incidents directly injured Indian nationals.
  • An oil tanker named "Skylight" — with 15 Indian nationals among its 20-person crew — was struck near Oman's Khasab Port in the Strait of Hormuz; four crew members (including Indians) were injured and evacuated to medical facilities in Muscat.
  • The UAE government confirmed that Indians were among those injured in Iranian missile and drone strikes in the region.
  • Eight Indians were stranded at Karachi airport after their aircraft was diverted mid-flight due to airspace closures over the conflict zone.
  • UAE authorities intercepted approximately 165 missiles, 2 cruise missiles, and 541 drones launched by Iran — with three deaths and 58 injuries reported in the UAE.

Static Topic Bridges

Strait of Hormuz: India's Most Critical Maritime Chokepoint

The attack on the oil tanker near Oman's Khasab Port highlights the extreme vulnerability of India's energy supply chain to any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

  • The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway (approximately 33 km wide at its narrowest) between Iran and the Oman/UAE coast; it connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea
  • Approximately 20 million barrels per day of oil pass through the Strait — roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption
  • India's exposure: approximately 50% of India's crude oil imports and 54% of LNG imports are routed through the Strait of Hormuz (FY2025 data)
  • India imports approximately 85-90% of its crude oil requirements; more than 1 million barrels per day arrive through Hormuz
  • Any closure of the Strait would cause immediate supply shortages, freight and insurance cost spikes, and sharp increases in domestic fuel prices in India
  • India's ICRA (rating agency) flagged India's "high exposure" to Hormuz as a critical energy security risk

Connection to this news: The tanker attack near Khasab Port — within the Strait of Hormuz corridor — was not just a human tragedy. It signalled that Iran was willing to target oil transit routes as part of its retaliatory strategy, directly threatening the energy artery on which India's economy depends.

Maritime Security and India's Indian Ocean Strategy

India has developed an increasingly active approach to maritime security in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas — the attack on an Indian-crewed vessel tested this posture.

  • India's maritime security doctrine encompasses the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
  • The Indian Navy operates in the Arabian Sea under the framework of Information Fusion Centre — Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), established at Gurugram in 2018 to coordinate maritime domain awareness
  • India is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982); the EEZ extends 200 nautical miles from its baseline, but the Indian Navy operates well beyond this in the wider IOR
  • "Operation Sankalp" (2019): India deployed warships to escort Indian-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz during earlier Iran-US tensions — a direct precedent for the current crisis
  • India's broader naval strategy in the IOR involves SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine — positioning India as a net security provider

Connection to this news: The attack on a vessel with 15 Indian crew members in the Strait of Hormuz created pressure for India to either deploy naval assets for protection (as in Operation Sankalp) or formally register its concern through diplomatic channels with both Iran and the US-led coalition.

India's Consular Protection Obligations Under International Law

The injury of Indian nationals in the Iranian strikes raised the question of India's obligations to its citizens in conflict zones under international law.

  • The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) — to which India is a signatory — establishes the right of consular assistance to nationals abroad; Article 36 mandates that consular officers be permitted to communicate with and assist their nationals
  • Under customary international law, states have the right to exercise "diplomatic protection" on behalf of nationals who have suffered internationally wrongful acts abroad
  • The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai activated emergency response procedures, coordinating with UAE authorities on the status of injured Indians
  • Consular protection in an active conflict zone is constrained — an Indian consular officer cannot physically access a battlefield; the protection is primarily diplomatic (protest notes, compensation claims, evacuation coordination)
  • The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) would cover medical care costs for injured Indian nationals in the UAE who are Indian citizens

Connection to this news: The UAE's confirmation that "Indians were among those injured" triggered India's formal consular response obligation — the MEA had to identify, assist, and account for each injured Indian national, while simultaneously engaging diplomatically with both Iran and the UAE.

Energy Security and India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves

The attack on oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz made India's strategic petroleum reserve infrastructure suddenly relevant.

  • India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) are managed by the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • India currently maintains SPR at three locations: Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Mangaluru (Karnataka), and Padur (Karnataka) — combined capacity of approximately 5.33 million metric tonnes
  • The stored reserves represent approximately 9-13 days of India's total consumption
  • The International Energy Agency (IEA) recommends member countries maintain at least 90 days of import cover; India's reserves fall well short of this benchmark
  • India has expanded SPR capacity in Chandikhol (Odisha) and Padur (Phase 2) to increase reserves, though these are not yet operational at full capacity

Connection to this news: Any sustained closure or disruption of the Strait of Hormuz would exhaust India's SPR buffer within weeks. The tanker attack highlighted that India's energy security architecture — heavily dependent on Gulf imports with limited reserve cover — is structurally exposed to exactly this kind of regional conflict.

Key Facts & Data

  • Oil tanker "Skylight": 15 Indian crew out of 20 total; struck near Khasab Port, Oman; 4 crew injured
  • Location: approximately 5 nautical miles north of Khasab Port, Musandam Peninsula, Oman
  • India's Hormuz exposure: ~50% of crude imports, ~54% of LNG imports
  • Global Hormuz flow: approximately 20 million barrels per day (20% of global petroleum consumption)
  • UAE interceptions in single salvo: 165 missiles, 2 cruise missiles, 541 drones; 3 killed, 58 injured
  • 8 Indians stranded at Karachi airport after flight diversion
  • India's SPR capacity: ~5.33 million metric tonnes (approximately 9-13 days consumption)
  • Operation Sankalp (2019): precedent for Indian Navy escort of vessels through Hormuz
  • ICWF covers: emergency medical care, shelter, air passage home for distressed Indian nationals abroad