India 'Deeply Concerned' as Red Sea and Hormuz Blockades Threaten Trade and Seafarers

India said on Tuesday that it is "deeply concerned" by blockades in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, as attacks continued in the region and a tanker carrying Indian crew members was struck off the coast of Oman.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a press briefing in New Delhi that India had condemned attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including on civilian infrastructure and economic assets. "Such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb," he said, describing the Houthi strikes as "unacceptable".

He added that oil supplies from the region had not been affected so far.

The Ministry said Omani authorities were assisting in search operations for a missing Indian seafarer after a ship with 23 crew members, including 14 Indians on board, was hit off the Omani coast. The Panamanian oil tanker El Gaia is believed to have struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz and was being towed back to Oman. All but two crew members, including 13 Indians, were rescued.

The United States military has claimed that the vessel was targeted by an Iranian missile last month and by a drone over the weekend. These claims have not been independently verified.

"We deeply thank the Omani authorities for rescuing our nationals, and our Embassy in Muscat is in close touch," Mr. Jaiswal said. "The targeting of commercial shipping, targeting of seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable to us. We also urge that free and safe navigation and flow of commerce through international waterways in the region be restored at the earliest."

India's public position on the region's waterways has been consistent: that international shipping lanes must remain open and that the safety of seafarers, a large number of whom are Indian, is a priority.

The incident occurred over the weekend, when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in Delhi for the BRICS Summit. In talks with him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for "safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers". The official readout of the meeting did not mention any assurances from the Iranian President on allowing safe passage for Indian ships and seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Developments in the Red Sea region were also discussed on Sunday when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Delhi.

More than 2.4 million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, where several cities — including Abha, Jeddah, Jazan, Taif, Yanbu, Makkah and AlUla — are on alert amid attacks from the Houthis. Saudi forces have carried out dozens of missile strikes on Yemen in retaliation.

The Ministry spokesperson was also asked about comments from Beijing regarding Mr. Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on Saturday. After returning to Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that the two leaders had reached an "important consensus", and claimed that Mr. Modi had said India would not allow "any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory" in response to Mr. Xi's concerns.

Mr. Jaiswal said New Delhi had "seen" Mr. Wang's comments, but added that Mr. Modi's reference was to sensitivity towards the concerns of both Delhi and Beijing.

"Prime Minister referred to Indian concerns as well and underlined that both sides should show sensitivity to each other's core concerns and be guided by the three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity," he said.