United Nations, India has condemned the attacks on commercial shipping in the two important arteries of global trade — the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait — and called for upholding international maritime law to ensure safe passage on the seas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end,” India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish told the Security Council on Tuesday (local time)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” he said at a debate on the situation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish called attention to the recent attacks on three ships with Indian crews, GFS Galaxy, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Several Indian citizens were injured, including some seriously; one Indian tragically lost his life, and one is missing, in these attacks,” Harish said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“India has consistently condemned acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He did not name Iran, which attacked the three ships near the Oman coast, but he mentioned the Houthis while condemning the attack on shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Houthis, an Iran-aligned rebel group in Yemen, have claimed to have attacked four Saudi-connected ships in that strait leading to the Red Sea, and eventually the Suez Canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The protection of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Southern Red Sea is a shared international responsibility and is a global interest,” Harish said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“India reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen and rejection of any interference in its internal affairs,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US has also attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, killing three Indian sailors on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello, as it blockaded Iranian ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish stressed the importance of the Gulf region to India, calling for “a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our stakes in the security and stability of the region are high,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“India’s trade and energy supply chains are strongly linked to this region. With bilateral annual trade of around $180 billion, cumulative Foreign Direct Investment of over $31 billion, and remittances of more than $52 billion from GCC (the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council) alone,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“These linkages have direct implications for our economy and energy security,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The safety and well-being of the 10 million Indians in the Gulf “are a key priority for us,” he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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