- Indians make up about 12.2% of the global seafarer workforce
- At least 15 seafarers, many Indians, died near Strait of Hormuz since Feb 28
- An April video shows Iranian boats firing on an Indian-crew Panama-flagged ship
Indians are one of the largest workforces at sea, accounting for approximately 12.2 per cent of global seafarers. But when Iran made the Strait of Hormuz -- which normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments -- a battlefield after the United States and Israel launched attacks on February 28, Indian sailors became unsuspecting collateral damage in US President Donald Trump's war of choice.
According to a UN report published in June, at least 15 seafarers, many of them Indians, have died in attacks on merchant vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.
Now, the Indian sailors' union has released an old video from April showing glimpses of horrors faced by Indian sailors when they came in the line of fire between the warring nations. The video, shared by The Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), captured a tense incident from April 22, where an Indian-crew-heavy vessel was surrounded by boats identified as belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The incident involved a Panama-flagged container ship that was fired upon by Iranian boats amid an escalation of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The footage shows the confrontation intensifying, including a rocket-propelled grenade being fired, as seafarers took cover inside the vessel.
The ship had 21 Indian crew members, who were unharmed and safe, India's shipping ministry said later.
New Delhi later also lodged a strong protest with Iran, summoning its deputy ambassador over one of the deaths last month. Later, it also ordered shipowners, ship managers, and recruitment companies not to deploy the country's seafarers on vessels undertaking trips through the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed fighting in the region.
According to the Directorate General of Shipping, recent attacks on vessels have increased the risks faced by seafarers and commercial ships operating in the conflict-affected area "significantly".
"In view of the heightened security situation in the Persian Gulf region ... the Directorate considers it necessary to adopt enhanced precautionary measures to safeguard the interests of Indian seafarers serving on board ships operating in the region," the order said.
It also directed masters of the vessels to ensure that they are sufficiently vigilant about the security situation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and adjoining waters, and called for continuous monitoring of navigational warnings.
