India urges Iran to ensure safe passage for ships after firing incident
During the meeting, India conveyed its “deep concerns” and reiterated the need to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the region.
India has said it is in close contact with Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of its vessels and facilitate their secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in West Asia.
"We have several of our ships in the Persian Gulf. We have been in touch with Iran and other stakeholders to ensure safe passage. So far, 10 of our ships have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz, and one more is expected to pass through shortly," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at an inter-ministerial briefing yesterday (21 April).
The comments came in response to queries regarding two Indian vessels that recently reported a firing incident while transiting the strategically vital maritime sea lane.
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An official statement said that "In the past 48 hours, two Indian vessels, VLCC Samnar Herald and bulk-carrier Jag Arnav, reported a firing incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, following which they returned to the Persian Gulf. There has been no injury to any crew reported."
"When the firing took place on Saturday, two of our ships came under fire. When this matter was reported to us, we took it up very strongly. We called in the Iranian Ambassador who had a meeting with the Foreign Secretary," Jaiswal said.
During the meeting, India conveyed its "deep concerns" and reiterated the need to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the region.
So far, nine Indian-flagged cargo ships have successfully transited the Strait, while the two vessels involved in the incident have remained in the Persian Gulf after turning back.
