The escalating Iran-Israel/West Asia conflict has hit close to home for India this week. After Iranian missiles struck two UAE-flagged oil tankers, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, in the Strait of Hormuz, one Indian seafarer among the vessels’ 30-strong Indian crew lost his life, while several others were injured. India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded swiftly, strongly condemning the attacks and violence targeting seafarers, and calling for an immediate end to hostilities in the region. New Delhi also summoned Iran’s Deputy Chief of Mission to lodge a formal protest.
This is far from an isolated case — around 16 Indian nationals have reportedly been killed or gone missing in the Gulf since the conflict began in late February, underscoring India’s outsized stake in the crisis given its massive seafaring workforce.
On the economic front, renewed strikes and a US-imposed blockade have pushed oil prices above $87 per barrel, a one-month high, fueling concerns over rising fuel costs and inflationary pressure back home. With the Strait of Hormuz remaining a flashpoint for global energy security, India finds itself navigating both humanitarian and economic fallout from a conflict far beyond its borders.