NEW DELHI: India has stepped up diplomatic engagement with Iran seeking consular access and early resolution for the case of 16 Indian crew members on board a merchant vessel detained by Iranian authorities in December last year, the Indian embassy in Tehran said.In a press release on Saturday, the embassy said it was informed around mid-December 2025 about the detention of MT Valiant Roar. The Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas wrote to the Iranian government on December 14 seeking consular access to the crew and has since followed up through diplomatic correspondence and in-person meetings in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including at the level of the ambassador. “The Iranian authorities were also requested to allow the crew to communicate with their families in India,” the embassy said.The mission said it contacted the UAE-based ship-owning company on December 15 and has remained in touch with its Iran-based agents to ensure food, water and fuel supplies for the vessel, besides pressing for legal representation for the crew in Iranian courts. After being informed of depleting provisions, the mission intervened with the Iranian navy, which arranged emergency food and water supplies in early January. The Indian consulate in Dubai has also been engaging the ship-owning company to ensure regular provisioning and legal support, the embassy said, adding that the case is expected to go through Iran’s judicial process.“However, the Mission and the Consulate continue to press the Iranian authorities to grant early consular access to the crew, and to ensure expeditious completion of the judicial proceedings,” the statement said.Earlier in the day, the father of one of the detained crew members appealed to Indian authorities for urgent intervention. Mukesh Mehta said his son Ketan, a third engineer on board the tanker operated by Prime Tanker LLC, Dubai, was among those detained after the vessel was intercepted at Bandar Abbas port, reported PTI. He said the family has been living in constant anxiety since learning of the detention and appealed to the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ministry of external affairs and the Directorate General of Shipping to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the crew’s release.Iran on December 13 had seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, claiming it was carrying six million litres of diesel fuel and had 16 crew members from India on board.Iran has frequently announced the boarding of vessels it accuses of illegally transporting fuel, citing smuggling concerns amid low domestic fuel prices. Authorities have denied that such seizures are retaliatory actions against other countries.The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz remain critical maritime chokepoints, handling nearly 20 per cent of global oil trade, with heightened tensions continuing amid increased regional naval activity and geopolitical friction.
