India monitors safety of 166 seafarers in Persian Gulf amid regional tensions

The Indian Ministry of Shipping is tracking the welfare of 166 Indian seafarers serving on vessels in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz, including 125 on Indian‑flagged ships and 41 on foreign‑flagged vessels, as attacks on commercial shipping rise.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed seafarer safety in conflict‑sensitive zones, directing agencies to enhance pre‑departure training, mental‑health support and a 24‑hour grievance and assistance cell. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Directorate General of Shipping and Indian diplomatic missions in West Asia and the Black Sea were briefed on security conditions and response plans.

The government reiterated its stance that commercial shipping and civilian maritime infrastructure must not be targeted and condemned recent strikes on vessels in the Black Sea that resulted in Indian fatalities.