Despite severe maritime friction in the Middle East, India enters the crisis with a resilient crude import basket, having imported record volumes in June with Russian crude anchoring 52% of total purchases to cushion against global price shocks. However, the escalation in the Strait of Hormuz has created severe physical dangers for maritime workers, highlighted by recent attacks on the tankers MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa which resulted in the death of one Indian seafarer and injuries to several others. In response, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the immediate setup of a real-time, vessel-by-vessel operational dashboard and appointed dedicated liaison officers to track every Indian seafarer in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman regardless of their ship’s flag. Meanwhile, crew members traversing the strait recount intense psychological warfare and conflicting instructions from Iranian and US naval forces while navigating through high-risk waters.