India Summons Iran Ambassador After Second Vessel Hit in Hormuz — Seven Ships Turned Back

# India Summons Iran Ambassador After Second Vessel Hit in Hormuz — Seven Ships Turned Back

> **Quick answer:** On April 18, 2026, Iran's IRGC fired on Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing seven of eight approaching ships to reverse course. A second, separate vessel was also struck by an "unknown projectile" the same day — two distinct incidents in under 24 hours. India formally summoned Iran's ambassador, marking the first time a major non-Western, non-US-aligned power has entered this crisis diplomatically. With India importing roughly 85% of its oil through Hormuz, the stakes are personal — and the geopolitical calculus just got significantly more complicated.

The Strait of Hormuz crisis acquired a new dimension on Saturday, April 18, 2026, when Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire on Indian-flagged commercial vessels attempting to transit the narrow waterway. Seven of eight India-flagged or India-bound ships approaching the strait that morning were forced to reverse course. India's response — formally summoning Iran's ambassador — is the most significant third-party escalation of the crisis so far, and it changes the diplomatic map entirely.

## What Happened: Two Separate Incidents on the Same Day

Saturday's events in Hormuz were not one incident — they were two, distinct and hours apart.

**Incident one: IRGC fires on Indian commercial vessels.** The Sanmar Herald, an Indian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) transporting nearly 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, came under direct fire from IRGC naval forces. A second vessel, Jag Arnav, was also targeted and forced westward out of the strait. A distress call from crew aboard the vessels captured the disbelief in real time: *"You gave me clearance to go… You are firing now!"*