‘Turn around now’: The moment Iranian navy intercepted Indian oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz – Watch

One of the two Indian-flagged oil tankers, the Bhagya Lakshmi, turned back in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy refused to allow passage of the narrow waterway after Iran announced it was closing the narrow waterway.In a video shared by an Iranian journalist on X, the ship’s crew can be heard trying to communicate with the Iranian navy to request permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz.Also read: Indian ship sends frantic distress call as it opens fire in Strait of Hormuz However, the Iranian navy informed the ship that it had no right to enter.“Iranian Navy, this is Bhagya Lakshmi. I read you loud and clear,” one crew member said.On the other hand, the Iranian Navy demanded that the ship “turn around immediately.” Bhagya Lakshmi agreed.At the same time, the Sanmar Herald issued another distress call. A crew member on the crude oil tanker said: “Sepah Navy. Sepah Navy. This is the motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You gave me permission to go. My name is second on your list. You are now firing. Let me go back,” the man said.Two Indian-flagged oil tankers reportedly turned back in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday after being fired upon by Iranian gunboats, as the waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes – remains at the center of chaos amid tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran. No casualties were reported and the vessel was not damaged in the fire, sources said.Ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday received radio messages from the Iranian navy telling them they were not allowed to pass, while two vessels reported being shot at, Reuters reported. The report added that several commercial ships attempted to pass through the strait after a notice was issued to mariners the previous day that passage through the strait was allowed but only on routes deemed safe by Iran.Meanwhile, India expressed concerns about the safety of merchant ships and sailors after reports of gunfire on merchant ships. The foreign ministry said Iran had previously helped ensure the safe passage of several ships bound for India.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri urged the Iranian ambassador to convey New Delhi’s concerns to the authorities in Tehran and resume the process of facilitating the safe passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz at the earliest. The ambassador assured that India’s concerns would be conveyed.Iran spoke of the shooting incident on an Indian-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz as regional tensions escalated, with Iran’s top representative in India underlining strong ties and calling for peace. “Relations between Iran and India are very strong and I know nothing about the incident you mentioned and we hope everything goes well and gets resolved,” said Dr Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, Iran’s Supreme Leader’s representative in India.Iran’s joint military command later said control of the strait had returned to “strict management” by the armed forces.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned through the Tasnim news agency that ships approaching the strait could be seen as supporting hostile forces and could be targeted.