NEW DELHI: Thirteen Indian nationals have lost their lives, while three others still remain missing in the Gulf region since February 28 when the US-Iran war broke out, according to government sources.
The West Asia conflict, which began after the US and Iran failed to reach a nuclear deal, has resulted in a major global energy crisis due to the disruption of supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
Many of the Indian casualties have also come onboard commercial vessels which came under attack from Iranian forces.
Two vessels – MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa – were the latest to have come under Iranian attack during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
The two vessels were carrying 30 Indian seafarers, among their combined crew of 46.
Of the 12 Indian nationals onboard MT Al Bahiyah, one has tragically lost his life and another has been injured.
Of the 18 Indian nationals onboard MT Mombasa, 9 have sustained injuries, including 2 who are reported to be seriously injured.
Reacting to the incident, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels in which one Indian national was killed.
“We are closely following the developments in West Asia. We continue to call for safe and unimpeded navigation and the flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. This is key for ensuring the economic and energy security of people across the world,” he said.
India also summoned the Deputy Chief of Mission of Iran and conveyed India’s deepest concerns over the attack on MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We issued a statement after summoning the Deputy Chief of Mission of Iran. We conveyed to them our deepest concerns and that we strongly condemned what has happened. We lost a precious Indian life, and several Indian nationals have been injured, a couple of them seriously. We conveyed our strongest protest to the Iranian side on this matter, stating that these attacks must stop at the earliest,” he said at the media briefing.
Last month, three Indian seafarers were killed after US Navy attacked their vessel MT Settebello.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the oil tanker was attacked in the Gulf of Oman after it “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.” - The Stateman/ANN
