India’s External Affairs Minister Calls for End to Attacks on Seafarers in Hormuz

At the G20 foreign‑affairs ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar voiced alarm over repeated attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that the Global South is bearing a disproportionate share of the consequences, citing threats to the availability and cost of fuel, food and fertilisers. Jaishankar urged the international community to safeguard freedom of navigation and to end such attacks in line with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He highlighted a joint India‑Liberia initiative aimed at protecting seafarers.

Jaishankar also raised concerns about restrictions on industrialisation, describing how market flooding, weaponised supply chains and limited market access undermine the right to industrialise. He cautioned that tactical calculations should not overlook the dangers of terrorism.

The comments come after a Panama‑flagged oil tanker, MT LOUISE 1, carrying 27 Indian seafarers, was targeted with limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz on 30 October – the first known successful use of such explosives in the area since the US‑Iran war began in February. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that all 29 Indian seafarers aboard the two tankers attacked on 29 and 30 October were safe, with no injuries reported.

The incidents underscore the need for robust maritime security measures and international cooperation to protect civilian shipping and the livelihoods of seafarers in the region.