Grey Zone Signalling Tests India’s Multi Alignment Policy in the Gulf

For Information only - Unverified Map Issued by Iranian News Agency Tasnim

Targeted attacks on Indian flagged ship off the coast of Oman presumably by Iranian state or supported nonstate actors will test India’s multi-alignment policy in the Gulf balancing Iran with a tilt towards the UAE and Israel.

Associated Press reported quoting United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center two incidents of targeting of ships in the Straits of Hormuz. A ship seized on May 14 was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah. This comes as an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, a UAE port.

The second attack reported was on the Indian flagged ship Haji Ali which occurred on May 13, all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and were safe.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson’s in a statement on the attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman on  May 14, 2026 said, “The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted.  All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them. India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.

These attacks come even as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is in India for the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting being held in New Delhi on May 14 and 15.  Araqchi claimed the United Arab Emirates’ alliance with the Israeli regime failed to protect the Persian Gulf Arab country. “Your alliance with the Israelis did not protect you either and you should reconsider your policy towards Iran,” Araqchi said in response to the claims made by the UAE representative at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting as per Iranian semi official news agency Tasnim.

Tasnim News Agency also flagged the decision made Iran to allow passage of several Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz while observing the Iranian management protocol of the strait. Following requests by the Chinese foreign minister and the country’s ambassador to Iran, facilitation of the passage of Chinese ships was pursued based on the deep relations and the strategic partnership between Tehran and Beijing, the report said.

This comes even as; US President Donald Trump is in China for a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping where freedom of navigation through the Straits was one of the key issues discussed.

While there is no clarity on the attackers on the Indian cargo ship nor which group has seized the ship off the coast of UAE, these come close to the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi’s visit to Dubai on his route to Europe.

Reports also indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE though the Gulf state was quick to deny the same.

Inferred from motive the incidents seem to be grey zone signalling by Iranian authorities to India, even as their foreign minister was in New Delhi. Going forward this may test India’s multi alignment policy in the Gulf balancing relations with Iran with a tilt towards the UAE and Israel.