India's government has announced it will commence continuous monitoring of all vessels carrying Indian citizens that transit through the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman. Indian seafarers constitute over 12% of the global seafaring workforce.
The Indian Directorate General of Shipping will establish a monitoring platform to track every Indian citizen aboard vessels in the specified region, irrespective of the vessel's flag, according to a statement released by the government late Tuesday.
This move follows an incident where two commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz were attacked on Tuesday, resulting in the death of one Indian crew member and injuries to ten others. In response, India summoned Iran's deputy ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
"India has expressed its strong condemnation and opposition to the attacks on defenceless civilian merchant vessels," stated Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the declaration. "These irresponsible, baseless, and entirely unnecessary attacks have led to the death and serious injury of Indian seafarers, who are vital workers ensuring the smooth operation of global supply chains."
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