GUWAHATI: India on Thursday, May 14, strongly condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, calling the targeting of civilian shipping “unacceptable” amid escalating tensions across the Gulf region and key maritime routes linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
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Reacting to the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India remains deeply concerned over the growing threats to maritime security in West Asia and stressed the need to safeguard international trade routes and commercial navigation.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that all Indian crew members aboard the vessel were safe and had been rescued with assistance from Omani authorities.
“All Indian crew on board are safe, and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them,” Jaiswal said.
The incident comes against the backdrop of rising instability in the Gulf region, where maritime attacks, vessel interceptions and security alerts have increased significantly in recent months due to the broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Reiterating India’s long-standing position on maritime safety, the MEA said civilian ships and innocent crew members must not be targeted under any circumstances.
“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the ministry stated.
The Strait of Hormuz, situated between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, remains one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, with nearly 20 percent of global crude oil passing through the narrow corridor. Any disruption in the region has immediate implications for global energy markets, freight movement and international supply chains.
India, which depends heavily on energy imports routed through the Gulf, has been closely monitoring the evolving security situation. In recent years, the Indian Navy has also expanded surveillance and operational deployments across the Arabian Sea and nearby waters to protect maritime interests and ensure the safety of commercial shipping lanes.