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News India Live, Digital Desk: Amid tensions in the Gulf region, the Iranian Navy opened fire on two Indian ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The surprising thing is that these ships were earlier given safe passage by Iran, but they were attacked midway. All Indian crew members are safe, but the incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Iran.
1. Which ships were attacked?
IRGC gunboats primarily targeted two Indian ships:
Sanmar Herald: This is a ‘Very Large Crude Carrier’ (VLCC) supertanker, which was coming to India carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil from Iraq.
Jag Arnav: It is a bulk carrier ship which was coming towards India from Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
Situation of the spot: In the audio recording, the captain of ‘Sanmar Herald’ was heard shouting, “Sepaah Navy (Iranian Navy)! You gave us clearance! My name is second on your list, then why are you firing? Let me turn back!”
2. What was the next step of the ships? (The Next Step)
Immediately after firing the ships took the following steps to ensure their safety:
U-Turn: Both ships abandoned their intention to transit the Strait of Hormuz and immediately Persian Gulf Turned back towards.
Distress Call: The ships immediately sent a distress message to the Indian Navy and international maritime safety agencies (UKMTO).
Secure Anchor: Presently these ships are anchored in safe areas of the Persian Gulf and are in constant touch with the Indian Navy.
3. Strict diplomatic action by India
New Delhi lodged a strong protest within hours of the incident:
Ambassador summoned: Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali and expressed deep concern over this “serious firing incident”.
Demand for free shipping: India clarified that it is in favor of free and safe movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Naval readiness: Although there were no Indian warships within the strait, two Indian destroyers and a frigate have been put on high alert in the Gulf of Oman.
4. A ship passed safely
Amidst this tension, the news of relief was that ‘Desh Garima’ Another Indian tanker successfully transited the strait and will reach Mumbai by 22 April.