Three Indonesian nationals missing after Mussafah 2 tugboat sinks in the Strait of Hormuz

A tugboat has been reported to have sunk in the Strait of Hormuz on the night of Thursday, 5 March 2026. In the incident, three crew members who are Indonesian nationals were reported missing. The incident occurred amid military tensions in the Gulf region arising from the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel.

Ambassador Judha Nugraha of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Arab Emirates said the tugboat Mussafah 2 sank at around 18:30 local time. ‘There were seven crew on board, four of whom were Indonesian nationals. Three crew members have been found safe, including one Indonesian. The other four were still missing, three of whom are Indonesian,’ Judha told Tempo on Friday night, 6 March 2026.

According to Judha, of the four missing crew, three are Indonesian. The other Indonesian was found safe along with two other crew members of different nationalities. To date, local authorities are still conducting searches for the missing victims.

Judha said the tugboat sank in waters of the Strait of Hormuz located near the border of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The Indonesian government through the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi continues to monitor development of the search operation conducted by the local authorities.

‘We have coordinated with the company and are now coordinating with the local authorities for the search process,’ Judha said.

Additionally, the Indonesian Embassy is collecting complete data on the crew involved in the incident. The data is needed to verify the identities of the victims and to inform families of the Indonesian nationals affected.

‘We are also requesting complete data from the crew so we can provide updates to their families,’ Judha said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. The area is often a hotspot for geopolitical tensions, especially when conflicts among Middle Eastern countries intensify. In the past few days, the security situation in the region has been heating up following the escalation of the Iran–United States and Israel conflicts.