India “deeply disturbed” by Iranian attack on Indian flagged vessels, Iran must respect international waterways: Vikram Misri

A day after the Iranian Navy opened fire on Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday said India is “deeply disturbed” by the incident and has urged Iran to ensure the safety of mariners and respect the principles of unimpeded passage through international waterways.

“With regard to the incident related to Indian ships that came under attack yesterday, we were deeply disturbed by this. We contacted the Iranian authorities and conveyed our deep concern over the development, and urged them to ensure respect for the safety of mariners and the principle of unimpeded passage through international waterways,” Misri said.

He added that the impact of the West Asia conflict is being felt across multiple spheres, including energy supplies. “It is being felt in the energy availability sphere, as many other countries are experiencing,” he said.

Misri also highlighted concerns regarding the safety of the Indian expatriate community. “We also have a very large Indian expatriate community, nearly 10 million people, living in the Gulf. We are also concerned about the fallout of this conflict for regional security in general, and for the Gulf countries and Iran in particular,” he said.

He reiterated India’s consistent position that sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, and that any issues should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

“We have called for de-escalation to be prioritised, for the safety of civilians, and for civilian areas and establishments not to be targeted,” he added.

Misri further stressed that India has consistently called for the protection of maritime shipping and mariners. “Concern for their safety is paramount for us. We were the first country to lose mariners on board merchant ships. Four of our people were killed, and one is still missing. Therefore, we are extremely disturbed by the attacks on merchant mariners,” he said.

He also emphasised that international waterways must remain free and open for the unimpeded passage of shipping of all kinds, including energy-related trade and other commerce.

U.S. takes custody of Iranian ship

In a separate incident, the US Navy took custody of an Iranian ship attempting to pass through the blockade. “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our naval blockade, and it did not go well for them,” said US President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post.

“The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to comply, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room. Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under US Treasury sanctions due to its prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship and are inspecting what’s on board,” Trump said.