India has banned seafarers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz due to escalating regional violence, impacting over 15,000 stranded sailors.
India has directed shipowners, managers, and recruiters not to deploy its seafarers on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed fighting in the region, reported Reuters.
The Directorate General of Shipping issued the order late Wednesday, citing heightened risks to crews and commercial ships. India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working globally.
Two Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels in the past three days, according to government data. The regulator stated that recent incidents had 'significantly' increased risks and called for enhanced precautionary measures.
Masters of vessels were instructed to remain vigilant in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and adjoining waters, with continuous monitoring of navigational warnings.
New Delhi lodged a protest with Iran, summoning its deputy ambassador over one of the deaths.
More than 15,000 Indian seafarers remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, said Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen's Union of India. 'We can stop new crews from joining, but what about those thousands still trapped in those deadly seas?' he told Reuters.
