Geneva: India on Tuesday strongly condemned the recent attacks on merchant vessels GFS Galaxy, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa while transiting through the Strait
of Hormuz at the United Nations. New Delhi also called for safe navigation in the key waterway. India said several Indian nationals were injured in the attacks; one Indian was killed and another remains missing. India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure and urged the restoration of free, safe and unimpeded navigation through international waterways. At the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East, New Delhi called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions across the region. Harish highlighted the strategic importance of West Asia for India, citing deep economic, energy, and people-to-people linkages with the region. He noted that India’s trade, foreign investments, energy supply chains, and the presence of nearly 10 million Indians in the Gulf make regional peace and stability a key priority for New Delhi. "Middle East, which is West Asia, is a region of immense importance to India. Our stakes in the security and stability of the region are high. India’s trade and energy supply chains are strongly linked to this region. With bilateral annual trade of around USD 180 billion, cumulative Foreign Direct Investment of over USD 31 billion, and remittance of more than USD 52 billion from GCC alone, these linkages have direct implications for our economy and energy security. Around 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf region. Their safety and well being are a key priority for us," Harish stated. The Indian envoy also stressed that targeting commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure poses a serious threat to regional and global security. Reiterating India's stance on the issue, Harish noted that New Delhi called for ensuring free, safe, and uninterrupted navigation through international waterways in accordance with international law, while urging all stakeholders to prioritise peace, stability, and diplomatic engagement. "After a brief pause in the ongoing conflict in the region, there has been a worrying resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities. This is deeply concerning and India calls for an immediate de-escalation of tensions. We strongly condemn the recent attacks on several vessels – GFS Galaxy, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa among them - during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz, this month. Several Indian citizens were injured, including some seriously, one Indian tragically lost his life, and one is missing, in these attacks. India has consistently condemned acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz," Harish Stated. "India strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region. The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure 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," he added. Notably, GFS Galaxy was targeted on July 12, while MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa were hit on July 14. Notably, the two tankers - MT Mombasa and MT Al Bahiyah – were struck while transiting the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil trade passes during peacetime. The attack claimed the life of an Indian crew member aboard MT Mombasa and injured eight others, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals. In June, three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello. According to official figures, 11 Indian nationals have lost their lives since the conflict intensified.
