‘Only our sailors were killed in Hormuz’, India speaks at 60-nation meet on Iran war

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India strongly raised the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, stating that it is the only country to have lost its sailors in attacks in the region.

Representing India at a UK-hosted multilateral meeting attended by over 60 countries, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted the urgent need to ensure safe and free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting focused on securing global shipping routes, which have been severely impacted, leading to a sharp rise in global oil prices.

According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, Misri emphasized the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters and underlined the impact of the crisis on India’s energy security.

He stated that India is the only country so far to have lost sailors in attacks on merchant vessels in the Hormuz region. As per the Directorate General of Shipping, at least three Indian sailors on foreign-flagged ships have been killed and one injured. Several vessels also remain stranded in the strait.

Misri noted that instability in the region is directly affecting India’s energy security, as the country is among the world’s largest importers of crude oil and heavily depends on supplies from West Asia.

He stressed that de-escalation and dialogue are the only viable solutions to the crisis. India has consistently maintained that attacks on commercial shipping are unacceptable and that free movement in international waterways must be ensured.

With nearly 10 million Indians living in Gulf countries, the government stated that all Indian nationals are currently safe and embassies remain in constant contact with them. So far, eight Indians have lost their lives in the conflict, while one person remains missing.