India-Iran Diplomatic Incident
On April 18–19, 2026, Iranian IRGC gunboats fired on two Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — the VLCC Sanmar Herald and the Jag Arnav — despite both ships having received prior clearance to transit. This violated Iran’s own selective passage policy and drew immediate diplomatic protest from India. India’s foreign secretary summoned Iran’s ambassador and called the incident a “serious incident,” demanding safe passage for Indian vessels. India had previously been one of the nations allowed to transit under Iran’s toll booth system, making the attack a significant escalation and diplomatic rupture.
Connections
- Iran IRGC — fired on the vessels
- Strait of Hormuz — location of incident
- Toll Booth System — violated its own terms
- India — flag state of affected ships