Delhi summons Iranian diplomat, lodges protest against attacks on ships carrying Indian crew

India today (14 July) summoned a senior Iranian diplomat in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest against the attacks on two commercial ships during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which left one Indian crew member dead and 10 Indian sailors injured.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi was summoned this morning by the ministry and "a strong protest against these attacks was lodged with him".

"We strongly condemn these attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz," the statement said.

It said the vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, were carrying 30 Indian seafarers, among their combined crew of 46.

Of the 12 Indian nationals onboard MT Al Bahiyah, one lost his life and another was injured. Of the 18 Indian nationals onboard MT Mombasa, nine have sustained injuries, including two who are reported to be seriously injured, the ministry said.

"We reiterate our deep concern on account of the resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the West-Asian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region," said the statement.

It added that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must cease so that free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, can be restored at the earliest.

The missile strikes on the two ships in the Strait of Hormuz came after the United States launched a fresh salvo of strikes against Tehran, marking a new escalation in the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East war.

"The Ministry of Defence announces that the national tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters," the United Arab Emirates defence ministry said in a post on X.

Apart from the casualties, the strikes sparked fires on board both tankers, causing damage, but these were brought under control later, it added.

"The Ministry of Defence condemned this flagrant attack, describing it as a grave violation and a clear breach of international law that threatens regional security and stability," the ministry said.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which one fifth of the world's oil passed before the war broke out in February, is a major point of contention between the US and Iran.

Trump vowed on Monday to charge all cargo shipped through the waterway to pay for keeping it open and to reinstate a blockade lifted last month on Iranian ships.