An Indian-flagged commercial ship came under attack on Tuesday in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that all 14 seafarers, including 13 Indians, who were on board the vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, have been rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard. The minister said the country “strongly condemns this unprovoked attack on the defenceless mechanised sailing vessel”.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Yemeni authorities.

The ministry also said on Tuesday night that the “continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region” were deeply worrisome.

“The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” the external affairs ministry said.

In recent weeks, several cargo vessels with Indians on board have been attacked in West Asia amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament that 16 Indians, including 10 seafarers, had been killed during the conflict. Eight of the deaths were reported in Oman, four in the United Arab Emirates, two in Kuwait, and one each in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the government said.

The US and Iran had arrived at an interim agreement on June 15 to stop the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels. They also held talks in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final peace deal within two months.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, had effectively been blocked for most international commercial vessels since the conflict began, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.

On July 9, the US military launched fresh attacks on Iran hours after President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire was “over”. This came after Tehran’s alleged attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has been retaliating by striking sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

Written by Anamika Pathak. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.

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