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The Centre on Friday launched a high-priority operation to guide 13 Indian-flagged commercial vessels safely out of the Strait of Hormuz as tensions continue to rise across West Asia and the Gulf region.The move forms part of a wider government effort involving multiple ministries to protect Indian citizens, seafarers and commercial interests amid growing instability in the region. At the same time, the Ministry of External Affairs urged Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Iran and advised those already in the country to leave with assistance from the Indian mission.Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said authorities had put in place a coordinated plan to assist Indian vessels currently operating in the strategically important waterway.”A coordinated priority is prepared through which we try to get our ships out. Currently, there are about 13 Indian-flagged vessels there: one LPG tanker, five crude oil tankers, one chemical or product tanker, three container ships, two bulk carriers, and one dredger. Our priority is to get our ships out that are currently inside,” he said.Officials said the vessels include crude oil tankers, container ships, bulk carriers and a dredger. The government is monitoring their movement closely amid concerns over maritime security in the Gulf.Sharma also pointed to the successful transit of Nissos Keros, a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker carrying around 2,70,000 metric tonnes of crude oil, through the Strait of Hormuz during the night of May 25 and 26.”The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations. As part of vessel movement, a merchant vessel, Nissos Keros, a Marshall Island-flagged crude oil tanker, safely transited the Strait of Hormuz on the night of the 25th and 26th. It is bound to arrive at Visakhapatnam on June 3, 2026. This merchant vessel is carrying approximately 2,70,000 metric tons of crude oil. It has all foreign crew members. All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian seafarers, either on Indian-flagged or foreign-flagged merchant vessels, has been reported,” he said.According to the ministry, all Indian seafarers aboard domestic and foreign-flagged vessels in the region remain safe, with no hostile incidents reported so far.The Directorate General of Shipping’s emergency control room has continued to handle a large volume of distress calls and queries from seafarers and their families. Since its activation, it has processed more than 10,800 calls and over 24,000 emails.”The control room established at the Directorate General of Shipping has handled more than 10,800 calls and more than 24,098 emails since activation. In the past 96 hours, a total of 500 calls and 1,332 emails have been received from seafarers, their families, and maritime stakeholders. The Ministry, through the Directorate General of Shipping, has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 3,422 Indian seafarers so far, including 47 in the last 96 hours from various locations across the Gulf region. Port operations across India remain normal, and no congestion has been reported,” said Sharma.The government has so far facilitated the return of more than 3,400 Indian seafarers from across the Gulf region, including dozens evacuated in the last four days.Providing an update on evacuation efforts, Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R Mahajan said Indian missions remained in close contact with community organisations, businesses and local authorities to assist citizens affected by the regional crisis.”Advisories are being issued, including information related to local government guidelines, the flight and travel situation, consular services, and the various welfare measures being undertaken for the community. Our missions are actively engaged with the resident Indian community, regularly interacting with Indian community associations, organisations, professional groups, and Indian companies to address their concerns. Welfare of the Indian seafarers in the region is of high priority for us. Our missions are extending all assistance to them, including coordination with local authorities and agencies, extending consular assistance, and assisting with requests to return to India,” he said.Mahajan said flight connectivity between India and much of the Gulf remained operational despite the regional uncertainty. Airspace in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait is open, while services continue to operate from Qatar and Iraq with varying restrictions.”An update on the status of flights: the overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India. UAE airspace is open; Indian and UAE carriers are operating flights from the UAE to various destinations in India. Flights are operating from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to different destinations in India. Qatar’s airspace is partially open. Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, and Qatar Airways are operating flights from Qatar to various destinations in India. Kuwait airspace is open. Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways are operating flights to various destinations in India. Indian carriers are also expected to resume operations from Kuwait to India soon. Bahrain airspace is open. Air India Express, Indigo, and Gulf Air are operating flights from Bahrain to various destinations in India. Iraq’s airspace is open with limited flight operations to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India. Iran’s airspace is partially open,” said Mahajan.He reiterated the government’s advisory against travel to Iran and said the Indian Embassy in Tehran had already facilitated the exit of thousands of Indian nationals through neighbouring land border crossings.”We have advised Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Iran and urged all those already there to leave with our embassy’s support. So far, our embassy in Tehran has facilitated the movement of 2,557 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes. Israel’s airspace is open, and limited flight operations have resumed to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India,” he said.Mahajan said the government remained focused on the welfare and safety of Indians across the Gulf and West Asia, with embassies and consulates operating round-the-clock helplines and coordinating with state governments and local authorities.”The Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the developments in the Gulf and West Asia region. Our efforts are focused on ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community in the region. We are in constant touch with the state governments and union territories to share information and to coordinate our efforts. Our embassies and consulates in the region are operating round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance to Indian nationals. They are proactively assisting our citizens and are also in close touch with the local governments,” he said.The developments come amid concerns that any disruption in the Gulf could affect India’s energy supplies, given the region’s importance to the country’s crude oil imports.Addressing those concerns, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was working to safeguard its energy requirements by broadening its sourcing strategy.”On the shipment question, energy security is very important for us, and we are trying to diversify our sources from across the world,” Jaiswal stated. “We welcome support from various markets.” Go to Source
