Centre Bars Deployment of Indian Seafarers on Strait of Hormuz Voyages Amid Rising West Asia Tensions

New Delhi: The Centre has directed shipping companies to stop deploying Indian seafarers on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz until further orders, citing the deteriorating security situation in West Asia following recent attacks on merchant ships in the strategic waterway.
In an advisory, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) instructed ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) agencies not to assign Indian sailors to voyages through the Strait of Hormuz. The authority also asked masters of vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman to maintain heightened security, closely monitor navigational warnings and security advisories, and strictly implement all measures under the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code.
The advisory comes after attacks on two merchant vessels—MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa—earlier this week. The two ships carried a total crew of 46, including 30 Indian seafarers. One Indian sailor was killed and another injured aboard MT Al Bahiyah, while nine Indian nationals sustained injuries in the attack on MT Mombasa.
Meanwhile, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the DGMA to establish a real-time operational dashboard to monitor every Indian seafarer serving on vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, irrespective of the vessel’s flag. The system is expected to provide live, vessel-by-vessel information on the location and status of Indian seafarers to strengthen their safety and enable faster emergency response.