Indian-Flagged Cargo Ship MSV Faize Noore Oliya overturned and later sank after being struck by an unknown projectile off Yemen in the Red Sea. The ship had 14 crew members, all Indians except one who was from Yemen.
The attack happened around 13 nm south of the Port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi Group.
The Yemeni National Resistance Force, also known as the Guards of the Republic, said that the coast guard and naval teams conducted a joint operation to rescue the crew members.
India’s Shipping Minister Sarbanda Sonowal wrote on X, “ India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack on the defenceless mechanised sailing vessel. The safety of our people is our supreme priority & I am relieved to inform that all 14 seafarers (including 13 Indians) have been safely rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and brought to the Port of Mokha.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the authorities for the safety and security of the crew members.
New Delhi called the latest ship attacks, especially on Indian crewed vessels, ‘deeply worrisome’ and urged those involved in the conflict to resolve it peacefully.
India gave a statement saying that the attacks on commercial vessels must end and free and unimpeded navigation through the international waterways in the region should start again.
The safety of seafarers sailing on vessels in West Asia, and through Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb or Red Sea and even Persian Gulf cannot be guaranteed, given the present maritime security situation.
Last month, Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia’s ports, opening a new front in the U.S-Iran war. The development raises serious concerns over energy supplies, as Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest exporters of petroleum products, and the world’s biggest exporter of crude petroleum.
Last month, the Iran-backed Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front in the US-Israeli war with Iran. The move has raised the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.
Yemen’s Transportation Ministry, the internationally recognised Saudi-backed government, blamed the Houthis for targeting the cargo ship; however, the group has not commented on the same.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported many ship attacks in the last week, since Houthis declared the naval blockade on Saudi Arabia.
Despite these developments, oil prices decreased to a three-week low on Tuesday after U.S announced that talks with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz were progressing in the right direction.
