The Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker DISHA was attacked in Iranian territorial waters, with all 28 Indian crew reported safe.
The incident turns the Hormuz operating picture back from reduced-flow data into a named-vessel security event.
1. DISHA LPG Tanker Attacked in Iranian Waters
• The Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker DISHA, IMO 8818219, was attacked in Iranian territorial waters on July 24.
• India’s Embassy in Tehran confirmed it was aware of the incident and said all 28 Indian crew members aboard the vessel were safe.
• The embassy said it remained in close contact with Iranian authorities and was monitoring the crew’s status.
• The attack adds a fresh vessel-level security event to the Strait of Hormuz risk picture after several days of sharply reduced transit volumes.
2. Hormuz Flow Holds at Three Ships Per Day as Rerouting Spreads
• Kpler data reported by Reuters showed only three vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day from July 22 to July 24.
•That pattern keeps verified Hormuz movement near the lowest level seen in more than two months.
• The clean tanker TORM INNOVATION, carrying about 500,000 barrels of naphtha for Japan, turned toward the Suez Canal exit instead of the usual Bab el-Mandeb route.
• Saudi Aramco has offered some crude cargoes from Sidi Kerir in Egypt, shifting part of the export workaround away from exposed Red Sea loading patterns.
3. Insurance, LNG and Voyage Economics Tighten Around Gulf and Red Sea Routes
• Asian spot LNG for September delivery into Northeast Asia rose to USD 22/mmBtu, up from USD 20.10/mmBtu the previous week.
• Kpler revised its Strait of Hormuz base case from de-escalation to a prolonged crisis scenario.
• Lloyd’s market reporting indicates war-risk underwriters are restricting appetite for Saudi-linked cargo exposure in the Red Sea after the latest Houthi-linked tanker attacks.
• Separate marine insurance clauses around Hormuz transit payments create a compliance issue where any toll, fee or payment to Iranian-linked authorities may affect cover.
4. Red Sea, Black Sea and South China Sea Add Parallel Crew-Safety Layers
• The ENCELIA strike and reported LAYLA claim remain part of the Red Sea risk layer, but they were already covered in the latest DeepDraft SITREP and should not displace the DISHA lead.
• India also condemned an attack on MV OMORFI in the Black Sea, where one Indian national was killed while the vessel was reportedly transiting Russian territorial waters on July 18.
• In the South China Sea, China Coast Guard vessels used water cannon against Philippine government vessels near Scarborough Shoal for a second consecutive day.
• Philippine reporting described one Chinese coast guard vessel closing to about seven metres from a Philippine fisheries vessel, creating a serious collision-risk signal in a contested operating area.
Strategic Summary & Actions Required
• Masters approaching Hormuz should treat the DISHA attack as a fresh vessel-level trigger, not just background regional risk, and confirm company route authority before entering the area.
• Ship managers should verify war-risk cover, crew-risk instructions, security level, AIS policy, BMP procedures and emergency deviation triggers for Gulf and Red Sea voyages.
• Charterers and operators should price Hormuz delay, Suez deviation, Sidi Kerir alternatives, cargo substitution, off-hire exposure and laycan failure into current fixtures.
• Legal, insurance and compliance teams should review any Hormuz transit-fee language, PGSA-related communication, sanctions exposure and cover-cancellation clauses before approving passage.
• Fleet teams should brief bridges on parallel risk zones, including Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, Black Sea conflict routes and Scarborough Shoal close-quarters escalation.
Operational Status
CRITICAL RED — DISHA LPG Tanker Attack / Hormuz Three-Ship Transit Pattern / Gulf and Red Sea Insurance Restriction / Multi-Chokepoint Crew-Safety Exposure
Latest DeepDraft Analysis
ECDIS Corrections: Why Updated Charts Still Confuse the Bridge
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/07/20/ecdis-corrections-aio-ep-no-overlay/
ECDIS updates now carry operational ambiguity where AIO objects, EP polygons and No Overlay areas can change bridge interpretation even when official charts are corrected.
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Sources
Indian Express, NDTV, Reuters, Financial Times, Associated Press, The DeepDraft
This update is part of the DeepDraft SITREP series covering developing maritime operational situations.
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