Three Deaths, 23,000 Citizens Impacted: Why India Flagged ‘Unacceptable’ Attacks on Shipping at UN Body
New Delhi: India on Thursday (March 19) described attacks on commercial shipping and civilian maritime infrastructure as “unacceptable” at an emergency session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, as it flagged risks to seafarers and called for de-escalation in West Asia.
The remarks were made at an extraordinary session of the IMO Council, the UN organisation’s executive body comprising 40 member states, which was convened in London on March 18 and 19 to address the impact of the crisis in and around the Strait of Hormuz on shipping and crew.
The meeting followed a series of attacks on vessels and threats to navigation in the Gulf region, a key energy corridor through which nearly a fifth of global oil trade passes and a majority of India’s crude imports flow.
Speaking at the session, India’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, said that the “targeting of commercial shipping and attacks on civilian maritime infrastructure is unacceptable”. He warned that such actions had led to loss of life, injuries and heightened risks for seafarers.
He later reiterated that “targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crews and impeding safe and free navigation through international waters … are unacceptable”.
Doraiswami said India was “deeply concerned about the evolving situation” and called for “de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy with utmost restraint”, with priority given to civilian safety.
He underlined the human toll of the conflict, noting that of seven reported fatalities among seafarers, three were Indian nationals, with four more injured and one missing.
Highlighting India’s role in the global maritime workforce, Doraiswami said the country contributes about 13% of the world’s seafarers, with an estimated 23,000 Indians affected by the ongoing crisis.
He added that 24 Indian-flagged vessels were currently operating in the Persian Gulf region, with more than 650 Indian crew members on board, and that all vessels and personnel were being closely monitored.
Pointing to the strategic importance of the waterway, Doraiswami said: “India's energy security and trade are critically dependent on the safe and unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Any disruption, obstruction or closures of these vital waterways have direct consequences for India's economy and for global energy and humanitarian supply chains,” he said.
The IMO Council condemned the attacks and pushed for coordinated action, while backing the creation of a safe maritime corridor to evacuate vessels from high-risk areas.
It said that attacks on civilian shipping must stop, stating that it “urged that all attacks on ships affecting innocent civilian seafarers be halted immediately”.
In its strongest language, the Council demanded that Iran “refrain … from any actions or threats aimed at closing, obstructing or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”.
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