14 Indian Ships In Hormuz, New Delhi Intensifies Efforts For Safe Passage

The firing on two Indian ships by soldiers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been taken extremely seriously by New Delhi, which is pursuing diplomatic initiatives in this sensitive issue. The Iranian Ambassador to India has been summoned, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed to him that India is deeply concerned about this incident. 

The ships -- Indian-flagged cargo vessels - were fired on in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18. The incident occurred due to a communication gap between the Iranian government and the local unit of the Revolutionary Guard, sources said.

During the firing, the Indian vessels did not sustain any major damage. Glass panes were shattered in certain sections of the ships.

The matter, though, has become a sensitive issue, with 14 Indian-flagged vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, sources said. Plus there are a large number of Indian citizens are currently in Iran, whose safety is of paramount importance to New Delhi, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said today.

"On receiving information regarding the firing incident, the Indian government took serious diplomatic initiatives in the matter," he said, recounting the summoning of the ambassador. "We remain in constant contact with Iranian authorities regarding the safety of Indian vessels. We are continuously engaging with Iran to ensure safe passage for our ships," he added.

Since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on February 28, India has safely evacuated 10 Indian-flagged LPG and oil tankers from the region.

Still, 14 Indian-flagged vessels remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. These include three large oil tankers and one large LPG tanker and the government is intensifying its efforts to get them back. . 

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations -- a British organisation monitoring maritime trade -- the captains of three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz reported attacks on Saturday, April 18. These included two Indian-flagged cargo ships.

According to the report, the first attack targeted an Indian-flagged oil tanker.

Two gunboats belonging to the Iranian military suddenly approached the vessel and without issuing any radio warnings or engaging in communication, they opened fire on the tanker. However, the ship and its crew members remained safe. 

Shortly thereafter, another Indian vessel was targeted by the Revolutionary Guards. The attack took place near the coast of Oman. According to the UKMTO report, this super-tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile.