A day after tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, more details emerged about the two Indian-flagged ships that came under fire, prompting a swift diplomatic response from New Delhi.
This is the first time that Iranian forces have opened fire on Indian-flagged or owned commercial ships in the war-torn waterway. path Live updates of the US-Iran war.
The incident comes even though several Indian-flagged ships have continued to pass through the strait in recent weeks without incident – one of these ships, the MT Desh Garima, crossed the strait at 1pm Indian time on Saturday and headed for Mumbai. As HT reported earlier, at least nine ships crossed the route safely recently, while 13 others remain in the Arabian Gulf.
Which Indian ships were targeted?
The Ministry of Shipping identified the two ships as the Sanmar Herald, a crude oil tanker, and the Jag Arnav, a bulk carrier.
The two ships were crossing the Strait of Hormuz when they were fired upon by boats belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The ships turned back after the incident. Most importantly, no injuries were reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet published details of the ship.
However, according to Marine Traffic, Sanmar Herald was on its way to India carrying crude oil from Iraq, while Jag Arnav had left Jubail in Saudi Arabia and was also heading towards India.
What exactly happened in the strait?
According to officials, the shooting occurred while the ships were navigating one of the world’s busiest and most sensitive shipping lanes.
The UK’s Maritime Operations Centre, which monitors such incidents, said two Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats approached an oil tanker without any prior radio contact. She added that the gunboats “then opened fire on the tanker.” The ship and its crew were reported safe.
In a separate incident nearby, another ship was hit by “an unknown projectile that caused damage to some containers,” although no fires or environmental damage occurred.
People familiar with the developments indicated that the two ships involved in these incidents were flying the Indian flag.
India lodges a protest and “recalls” its envoy
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acted quickly. Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fatahli was “summoned” to meet with Foreign Minister Vikram Masri on Saturday evening.
“During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern over the shooting incident that occurred earlier today on two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.
Al-Masry stressed the importance that India attaches to maritime safety, and reminded the Iranian side of its previous role in facilitating the safe passage of ships heading to India.
“Reiterating his concern over this serious incident of firing on commercial vessels, the Foreign Secretary urged the Ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume the process of facilitating India-bound ships through the Strait as soon as possible,” Jaiswal added.
According to the ministry, Fathali pledged to convey India’s concerns to the authorities in Tehran.
Continued tensions over the ceasefire
The shooting incidents come against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions amid ongoing efforts to formalize the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. It is worth noting that the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran said that it would resume control of the Strait of Hormuz “until the final end of the war.”
It also warned that continued American actions, including what it described as a blockade of Iranian ports, would be treated as a violation of the terms of the ceasefire.
