Overview
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs said two Indian nationals were killed and one is missing after attacks on merchant ships, with injuries also reported and a control room activated for assistance.
- U.S. Central Command said its forces struck multiple Iranian naval vessels, including alleged minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz, as at least three commercial ships were hit by projectiles on Wednesday.
- Indian authorities are weighing naval warship escorts for commercial vessels after requests from shipowners, with reports of dozens of Indian-flagged ships and more than 1,100 crew stuck across the Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
- Fuel supply strains are surfacing nationwide as LPG shortages force hotels and restaurants to shut or cut menus, prices rose by Rs 60 for domestic cylinders and Rs 115 for commercial ones, and booking intervals were extended to 25 days under tighter controls.
- Panic buying and long queues for cylinders were reported in Bihar and Jharkhand even as local agencies insisted supply remains adequate, underscoring risks as about 35% of India’s oil imports and roughly 80% of its LPG imports move through Hormuz, where Iran has warned it could halt shipments.