New Delhi [India], April 23 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that 10 Indian ships have safely exited the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz in the last week, while 14 vessels remain in the Persian Gulf amid heightened tensions.
Addressing the weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have 10 Indian ships which have exited the Strait of Hormuz safely in the last few weeks. We have 14 Indian ships which are still in the Persian Gulf."
Providing an update on a recent security incident, Jaiswal said that two foreign ships were fired upon a day earlier, with Indian crew members on board.
He noted that the crew were safe and clarified that the vessels involved were not Indian-flagged ships, and therefore, detailed information remains limited. However, he emphasised that the safety of Indian nationals remains a priority.
"Regarding the matter of yesterday, the firing that happened, two foreign ships were fired upon. Some of our Indian crew members, sailors, were on them. They are safe. And these two ships, which were fired upon, are foreign ships. I don't have detailed information about this because they are foreign ships," Jaiswal added.
The spokesperson further noted that the Government of India is in continuous contact with Iran to ensure the safe passage of the remaining vessels and crew members in the region.
"Our continuous conversation with the government of Iran is going on so that the remaining ships there can safely come to India," the MEA spokesperson said.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical shipping routes, handling a significant portion of global oil trade. Any escalation in the region often raises concerns over maritime security and the safety of commercial vessels.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that all Indian seafarers operating in the region are safe following recent firing incidents involving foreign-flagged vessels.
Addressing an interministerial press briefing here, Additional Secretary of the Ministry, Mukesh Mangal, said that while no Indian-flagged vessels were affected, concerns remain over the safety of Indian crew members serving on foreign ships in the affected area.
"In the past 24 hours, there were certain incidents of firing on the foreign-flag vessels. Although none of the Indian vessels came under fire, we are worried for the Indian seafarers on these vessels," Mangal said.
He confirmed that no Indian seafarers were injured in the incidents. "None of the Indian seafarers has been injured in the firing on the foreign-flagged vessels," he added.
Mangal further said that all Indian crew members on affected ships have been accounted for and are safe.
"A vessel, Euphoria, was having 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe. Similarly, there was another vessel, Epaminondas. That vessel has one Indian seafarer. He is also safe," he said.
He reiterated that authorities are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant agencies. "Therefore, all the Indian seafarers in the region are safe," Mangal added.
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