The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Tuesday confirmed that all Indian vessels and crew operating in the Persian Gulf are safe, even as regional tensions continue to rise.
Speaking at a media briefing, Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal said the government is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions abroad, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety and welfare of seafarers and maintain uninterrupted shipping operations.
“All Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours,” Mangal stated.
The Directorate General of Shipping has been actively managing support requests through its control room, which has handled 7,920 calls and over 16,800 emails so far. In the last 24 hours alone, 140 calls and 180 emails were received.
Highlighting ongoing repatriation efforts, Mangal said the Ministry has facilitated the safe return of more than 2,800 Indian seafarers, including 24 in the past day.
He also reassured that port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf have escalated due to the ongoing standoff between the United States and Iran, raising concerns over maritime security in the region.
Earlier, the Ministry had addressed reports of firing incidents involving foreign-flagged vessels. While no Indian-flagged ships were affected, authorities expressed concern for Indian crew members aboard such vessels.
Mangal confirmed that no Indian seafarers were injured in the incidents and all have been accounted for. He cited vessels such as Euphoria, which had 21 Indian crew members, and Epaminondas, with one Indian seafarer onboard—both reported safe.
The government reiterated that it continues to closely monitor developments and remains prepared to respond to any emerging challenges to ensure the safety of Indian nationals at sea.
