The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has instructed fleet owners and recruitment agencies to limit the deployment of Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf. This directive follows a series of attacks on commercial vessels attempting to navigate around a U.S. blockade in the region. Notably, three Indian seafarers lost their lives in a U.S. strike on the oil tanker MT Settebello, which occurred on June 10. Additionally, two other vessels with Indian crews, the MT Marivex and MT Jalveer, were also targeted recently.
In a security advisory issued on Saturday, the DGS recommended that recruitment firms and shipping companies refrain from sending Indian seafarers to conflict zones. However, it allowed for emergency crew changes with the crew’s consent. The advisory emphasized the need for heightened vigilance among ship captains operating in or near the Gulf, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz. Captains were urged to monitor navigational warnings and adhere to security protocols.
The International Maritime Organization reported 46 attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz since late February, resulting in 14 fatalities. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned these assaults, labeling them “simply unacceptable.” In response, India’s external affairs ministry summoned U.S. diplomats to express its protest, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterating the government’s stance in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
