The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday clarified that the ships involved in the recent attacks off the Oman coast are foreign-flagged vessels and not Indian-owned. He said all three ships are registered in other countries and do not belong to Indian companies.

MT Jalveer Attacked Near Hormuz

A maritime incident near the Oman coast had raised concern after reports said the commercial vessel MT Jalveer came under attack close to the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20 Indian sailors were reportedly on board the ship at the time of the incident. Authorities later informed that all the Indian seafarers are safe, and no injuries or casualties have been reported.

All 20 Indian Sailors Safe

In a press briefing, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mukesh Mangal, stated the MT Jalveer is a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship. This means the vessel is registered in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa and not in India. However, the ship had 20 Indian seafarers on board as part of its crew.

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“On 11th June, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel, a bitumen tanker MT Jalveer, was reportedly involved in a maritime security incident in the vicinity of Shinas port, Oman. The vessel has 20 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are reported to be safe. No casualties or injuries have been reported,” Mangal said.

MEA Flags Concern Over Repeated Attacks

In a separate weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal spoke about the recent attacks involving vessels that had Indian crew members on board. He said India has lodged a protest with the United States and called in the US Chargé d’Affaires. Jaiswal highlighted that New Delhi has also expressed serious concern over repeated attacks on ships in the region and stressed that the safety of Indian seafarers is a top priority.

He further noted that the ships involved in these incidents were foreign-flagged and not Indian-owned. According to him, two ships were registered in Palau and one in Guinea. “When this particular attack happened on Palau-flagged MT Settebello, we lodged a strong protest with the American side. We called in the American CDA and informed them of our deepest concerns about the ongoing incidents of attacks, and we registered a strong protest with them,” Jaiswal said.

“These attacks came from the US Navy stationed there. The three ships that have been involved in the incidents are foreign flagged. They are not Indian owned ships; they are all foreign flagships,” Jaiswal added. He further emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy are the best way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Jaiswal added that India has made its position very clear on all these points and reiterated that the safety, welfare, and lives of Indian citizens are of utmost importance. His statement comes after three Indian seafarers were killed in an attack on the Palau-flagged ship MT Settebello near Oman on Wednesday.

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