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India's Protest Over Maritime Attacks in West Asia

Friday, June 12, 2026
5 min read
India's Protest Over Maritime Attacks in West Asia

The Ministry of External Affairs, they finally spoke out on Thursday about the recent trouble in West Asia. There have been multiple attacks hitting ships these past few days. One of those incidents cost three Indian sailors their lives.

It’s deeply worrying, isn't it?

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear they care about the welfare and well-being of the seafarers community. That was the opening note.

“We condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman,” he said. “One where we unfortunately lost three Indian nationals.”

They had immediately summoned the US Charge d’Affaires to register a strong protest. The continuing incidents the attacks on shipping in that region Jaiswal stressed are clearly tied to the ongoing conflict happening right there. They demanded an end to this violence, just stop it now.

The details got more specific when they talked about the attack on the Palau-flagged tanker, MT Settebello, near the Strait of Hormuz. India raised this issue directly with Washington.

“When that particular attack happened,” Jaiswal continued, “we lodged a strong protest with the American side.” He made it clear their deepest concerns were tied to these ongoing attacks. They brought in the American CDA and protested hard about what was happening out there.

And here’s something important they clarified: the vessels involved the ones under attack they weren't Indian-owned ships. They were foreign-flagged, just commercial shipping going through.

The three ships involved? Foreign flags. Not Indian property. That distinction stuck with them.

Then you look at what actually happened on the water. It wasn’t just one event. The Shipping Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed that those three sailors reported missing after the MT Settebello attack were, in fact, dead. Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya, and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. Their bodies were recovered, thankfully.

But this wasn't isolated to one ship. Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal gave a fuller picture. He said three separate vessels carrying Indian crew members got hit since June 8th.

The first thing they reported was the vessel Marivex. A fire broke out on June 8th. That’s when all 24 Indian crew members aboard were safely pulled away. A rescue operation, thankfully successful.

Then came the next one, MT Settebello, on June 10th. The attacks intensified there. Out of those 24 sailors onboard at that time, three were killed. Twenty-one managed to evacuate.

And then there was the latest incident, reported on June 11th, involving MT Jalveer. Authorities confirmed they hit it. But all 20 Indian seafarers aboard that vessel are safe now.

It just keeps piling up. Mangal mentioned that right now, there are thirteen Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz alone. They carry about 562 Indian seafarers spread across them.

All this development has really pushed people to think about safety. It’s about those sailors working on one of the world’s most critical maritime routes, right now, amid all these rising tensions in the region. India is pushing hard for dialogue, for peace and stability, making sure those shipping lanes stay safe for everyone involved. They formally protested to the US again over that initial tragedy, and they are keeping a close eye on everything moving forward.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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