New Delhi: The Iranian Coast Guard on Saturday fired warning shots at a Togo-flagged chemical tanker, MT Chiron 7, which had 17 Indian seafarers on board, a shipping ministry official confirmed. The official added that all Indian crew members on the vessel are safe. This marks the third such incident in which foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian seafarers have been targeted by Iranian forces.
Details of the Incident
Mandeep Singh Randhawa, a director in the shipping ministry, stated on Monday, "The incident occurred near the outer port limits of Shinas in Oman. The vessel was sailing along with other ships when it was intercepted by the Iranian Coast Guard, which fired warning shots. All Indian crew members are safe... All Indian seafarers in the region are safe."
Last week, Iran targeted three foreign-flagged vessels, two of which had 22 Indian seafarers on board. The repeated incidents have raised concerns about the safety of Indian crew members in the region.
