Iranian diplomats including Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Mohammad Javad Hosseini, arrive at MEA as Ministry of External Affairs summons them, over recent attack on merchant vessels in Hormuz, in New Delhi on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
India on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) summoned the Iranian Deputy Chief of Mission and registered a “strong protest” after one Indian sailor died and several were seriously injured when two UAE-flagged energy tankers carrying Indian seafarers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles earlier in the day.
The official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian side conveyed “deepest concerns” about the incident in the Strait of Hormuz and urged for “de-escalation”.
“We strongly condemn these attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waters like the Strait of Hormuz. We also reiterate our deep concern on account of resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the West Asian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region,” said the Ministry.
“We lost a precious Indian life and there are several Indian nationals who have been injured, a couple of them are also seriously injured – so we conveyed our strongest protest with the Iranian side on this particular matter. These attacks that we condemned must stop at the earliest – at the same time there should be de-escalation and the two sides should come to the negotiating table and take the path of dialogue and diplomacy so that peace and stability can be ensured in West Asia,” said Mr. Jaiswal, calling for “safe and unimpeded navigation and flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.”
India’s protest came hours after the ships MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, carrying around 30 Indian seafarers among the total crew of 46, came under attack from the Iranian side while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday (July 14) morning. One Indian crew member out of 12 Indians on board Al Bahiyah died and one was injured. Out of 18 Indian sailors on board MT Mombasa, nine suffered injuries while two are “reported to be seriously injured”, said the Ministry. Indian diplomats and other officials in the UAE are closely monitoring the situation and extending assistance to the affected Indians on board the two vessels.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence of the UAE had announced that both the tankers were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles “while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters.” Apart from Indian citizens, two Ukrainian nationals were also injured in the incident, said the UAE authorities. UAE has condemned the incident terming it a “blatant attack” and a “serious violation and a clear breach of international law”.
The Indian government said that targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region “must cease”. There are several instances of Indians dying in the war that started on February 28 with the U.S. and Israel starting the military campaign against Iran. According to Government of India sources, the number of Indians killed in the Gulf region in the conflict stood at 13 and with at least three are missing. Apart from the deaths in the war, at least 12 Indian workers died in a blast in Ras Laffan LNG complex in Qatar in June when the facility, damaged in Iranian bombing earlier, was undergoing tests to reopen.
Published – July 14, 2026 05:51 pm IST
