A distress audio from an Indian tanker in the Strait of Hormuz captures chaos after Iranian gunboats opened fire. “You gave me clearance… now firing,” a crew member says. Two vessels turned back unharmed.

A tense audio clip from an Indian-flagged tanker has brought the chaos in the Strait of Hormuz into sharp focus, as vessels came under fire from Iranian gunboats. The recording, now circulating widely, captures a crew member urgently pleading with Iranian forces amid the confusion.

“You Gave Me Clearance…”

In the roughly 30-second distress call now shared online, a crew member aboard the crude oil tanker Sanmar Herald can be heard saying, “Sepah Navy, Sepah Navy, this is motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back.”

Tankers Forced To Turn Back