Sonowal said the crew included 19 Indian seafarers and that all had been brought to safety without injuries. The UAE had not immediately issued confirmation of the evacuation.

The minister said Indian authorities remained in contact with the company managing MT DOMINICA PROSPERITY to support the sailors' safety and provide any logistical assistance required.

Sonowal also reported that three Indian nationals aboard another tanker, flying the Saudi Arabian flag, were safe after that vessel came under attack on November 11.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that two tankers carrying more than four million barrels of oil caught fire after what it described as an accident on an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards said the ships had ignored repeated warnings over the southern maritime route and were immobilised by a violent explosion, without specifying the nature of the incident.

On November 10, Indian authorities said a projectile struck another Liberia-flagged tanker transiting the Arabian Gulf with six Indian seafarers aboard. Four crew members were injured, including one Indian national with minor injuries who was taken ashore for further medical examination. The other 18 crew members, including five Indian seafarers, were reported safe and accounted for.