New Delhi, July 14: India has demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in West Asia following targeted strikes on two commercial ships that resulted in the death of an Indian sailor. The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Iran’s deputy chief of mission to register a solemn protest against the actions, labeling them as direct threats to safe international navigation and global maritime commerce.
The diplomatic intervention follows the tracking of forty-six combined crew members across the MT Al Bahiyah and the MT Mombasa, a total that included thirty Indian citizens. Government records show that the MT Al Bahiyah, carrying twelve Indians, suffered one fatality and one injury. The MT Mombasa, which had an eighteen-member Indian contingent, reported nine injured citizens, with two individuals listed in critical condition.
“We also reiterate our deep concern on account of the resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the West-Asian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region,” the ministry statement affirmed.
The official response underscores growing anxiety regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint heavily impacted by current tensions between Tehran and Washington DC. Officials declared that commercial corridors must be kept clear of military conflict to allow free navigation. Ministry representatives asserted that the safety of merchant sailors remains a priority, extending condolences to the family of the deceased while monitoring the medical recovery of the surviving crew members.
