New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Tuesday stated that there are currently 163 Indian seafarers on board 12 commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf transiting through West of Strait of Hormuz.
“At this point in time, we have six India-flag commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz. We also have six foreign-flagged vessels which are carrying cargo to India. So, 12 ships are there. On these ships, we have around 163 Indian seafarers who are on board,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
“Apart from this, we also have over 4,500 Indian seafarers who are on board various commercial vessels which are plying in the area. The Ministry of Shipping continues to monitor the movement of these ships and is looking at the well-being of all these seafarers and, as and when required, through our embassies and other stakeholders, they do the needful for their well-being and welfare. On our side, we remain committed to the safety and well-being of our seafaring community abroad,” he added.
Right since the beginning of the West Asia conflict earlier this year, India has strongly condemned attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz while reiterating return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region.
On September 25, while speaking during the inaugural meeting of ‘Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers’ (GoF on S4) in New York, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar highlighted that India as a major source of seafarers and Liberia, as the largest shipping registry, have come together to highlight the safety and security of shipping and seafarers.
“Just two days ago, an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV CAPE DAO was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. An Indian sailor lost his life. Ten days before that, a Panama-flagged oil tanker EL GAIA was struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. An Indian crew member went missing after that incident. These regrettably are no longer exceptional occurrences. In the last few months, commercial shipping and mariners have been subjected to repeated attacks in the Gulf, the Red Sea and its vicinity,” said EAM Jaishankar in his remarks at the meeting.
“Such unacceptable actions are also occurring in the Black Sea. MV OMORFI was hit in Russian territorial waters on 18 July and its Chief Officer, an Indian national, killed. The following day, MV GOLDEN LEO was struck after leaving Odessa and four Indian seafarers lost their lives,” he added.
During the meeting, India had urged the international community to not only highlight the dangerous trend of growing attacks on commercial and civilian shipping from the Black Sea to the Red Sea to the Gulf, but also close ranks and deter such instances which have become a growing cause of concern.
“The world witnesses international trade worth more than a USD 140 billion a day. Oceans support more than 80 per cent of those activities. Our supply chains are deeply interconnected and securing the maritime commons is therefore crucial. Nearly 2 million seafarers operate the world’s merchant fleets, often navigating choppy waters, both literally and metaphorically. Recent global developments underline the threats posed to the safety and security of seafarers, including prolonged confinement on board, delayed crew changes and repatriation, separation from families, psychological distress other than these lethal attacks that I have mentioned,” he said.
He mentioned that during the recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India had highlighted this very concern with Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed establishing a Seafarers Emergency Support Network which could connect the Maritime authorities and Embassies of the countries concerned, and facilitate distress alerts, medical assistance, communication with families, and support for evacuation, when needed.
“In November last year, we co-organised an Arria Formula meeting in UN Security Council along with Greece and Philippines on ‘Maritime Safety and Security: Protection of Seafarers’. We also participated in the High Level Open Debate on ‘The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain’ held in April 2026. It is against this backdrop that India and Liberia joined hands to propose the idea of establishing a Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers,” EAM Jaishankar further stated.
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