Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, July 14

An Indian seafarer was killed, and 10 other Indian crew members were injured after two United Arab Emirates tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, India’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as military exchanges between the United States and Iran sharply escalated tensions across the Gulf.

India said one of the 12 Indian nationals aboard MT Al Bahiyah was killed and another injured, while nine of the 18 Indians on MT Mombasa were hurt, including two who sustained serious injuries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian diplomatic missions in the UAE were coordinating with local authorities to assist the affected crew members.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for attacking the two UAE tankers, while the UAE described the strikes as “brazen.”

India condemned the attacks and summoned the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to lodge a “strong protest.”

The attacks came as the US military resumed a maritime blockade of Iranian ports and carried out a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets.

US Central Command said the operations were intended to impose “a heavy cost” on Iran and reduce its ability to threaten commercial shipping.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the US operations as “criminal and provocative” and accused Washington of undermining regional stability.

The BBC reported that the IRGC also claimed attacks on US military facilities in Jordan and Bahrain, while Iranian media said at least three people were killed in the latest US strikes.

The renewed confrontation has heightened concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade passes.

Reflecting market concerns, Brent crude rose more than 3 percent to USD 86.07 a barrel.