7 Indian ships, 148 seafarers stay in Persian Gulf amid Hormuz tensions
Seven Indian-flagged vessels with 148 seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf as renewed US-Iran tensions escalate after attacks on merchant ships
New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) As many as seven Indian-flagged vessels were on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz before the start of the latest military escalation between the US and Iran, a government official said on Tuesday.
Just like the early part of the West Asia conflict, these vessels are unlikely to sail out of the Persian Gulf before de-escalation of tensions, he said.
The official told PTI that five Indian-flagged vessels are engaged in commercial activities in the region.
"About 148 seafarers are onboard the seven Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. And given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now," he said.
The attacks on two merchant ships MT Al Bahyah and MT Mombasa B reportedly during the early hours of July 14 came two days after an Iranian attack on the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy left an Indian crew member missing.
The vessel MT Al Bahyah had a total of 23 crew members comprising 12 Indians, 6 Filipinos, 3 Russians, 1 Egyptian, and 1 Sri Lankan. MT Mombasa B also had 23 crew members comprising 17 Indians, 3 Ukrainians, and 3 Georgians.
An Indian crew member on MT Al Bahyah has been confirmed to be killed, the official said.
The fresh escalation in tensions has raised questions over the fragile peace deal finalised between the US and Iran in June. PTI