NEW DELHI (MNN); India on Saturday summoned Mohammad Fathali, Iran’s ambassador, to express “deep concern” following reports that two Indian-flagged vessels were fired upon near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the envoy was called for a meeting with the foreign secretary, who raised serious concerns over the incident involving merchant ships earlier in the day.
During the meeting, the foreign secretary emphasized the importance India places on the safety of commercial shipping and seafarers. He also recalled Iran’s past cooperation in ensuring the safe passage of vessels heading to India.
Describing the incident as serious, India urged the ambassador to convey its concerns to authorities in Iran and called for the immediate resumption of safe transit for India-bound ships through the strait.
The Iranian envoy assured that India’s concerns would be communicated to relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated as Iran reimposed restrictions on the key maritime route. After briefly reopening the strait a day earlier, Tehran announced on Saturday that it was again closed to commercial shipping amid ongoing tensions with the United States.
According to reports, an Indian-flagged oil tanker, identified as Sanmar Herald, came under attack while attempting to pass through the strait. However, both the vessel and its crew were reported safe.
Shipping and maritime security sources indicated that at least two vessels faced firing incidents, while some ships received radio warnings from Iran’s navy stating that passage through the waterway was not permitted.
Earlier, maritime tracking data had shown a convoy of eight tankers moving through the narrow route, marking the first significant shipping activity since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran intensified weeks ago.
