New Delhi, April 19: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday that Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, was summoned for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri regarding the recent shooting incident involving Indian vessels in the Hormuz Strait.
During the meeting, India conveyed its serious concerns over the firing by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats on two Indian-flagged ships. Fortunately, the tanker and crew are reported to be safe.
A statement released by the MEA spokesperson on Saturday evening confirmed that the Iranian ambassador was called in for discussions. The Foreign Secretary expressed India’s deep concern over the shooting incident that occurred earlier that morning.
The statement further emphasized India’s commitment to the safety of commercial vessels and sailors, recalling that Iran has previously provided safe passage for many ships heading to India. Reiterating concerns over this serious incident involving gunfire on commercial vessels, the Foreign Secretary urged the ambassador to communicate India’s perspective to Iranian officials and to expedite the process of facilitating safe passage for ships coming from the Strait to India.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Iranian ambassador pledged to convey these sentiments to Iranian authorities.
Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center confirmed that gunfire had been directed at a tanker and a container ship by the IRGC.
A warning from UKMTO indicated that the master of a tanker reported an incident occurring 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The tanker’s master stated that two IRGC gunboats approached without any VHF warning, after which they opened fire on the tanker. Both the tanker and crew are reported safe, and officials are currently investigating the matter.
Another warning from UKMTO noted an incident reported 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
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