New Delhi, Apr 18: India on Saturday summoned Iranian envoy Mohammad Fathali after two Indian vessels had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following an incident of firing by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, authoritative sources said.
A strong protest was lodged with the ambassador over the incident, they said.
There is no official word yet on summoning Fathali to the external affairs ministry. Several commercial vessels tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz after Iran on Friday announced that it has opened the waterway for commercial traffic.
Tehran on Saturday said it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that the US violated certain understanding reached between the two sides.
A vessel tracker reported that two Indian vessels had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The vessels include an Indian-flagged super tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil, it said.
Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underlined India’s strong commitment to “safe and unimpeded” transit passage of maritime shipping, even as he emphasised that attacks on merchant shipping are “completely unacceptable”.
The EAM said this in his remarks while participating in ‘AZEC Plus’ online meeting convened by Japan to discuss supply chain disruptions in the energy markets.
