Iranian Navy attacked the Indian ship in Hormuz, India summoned the ambassador

On Saturday, Iran’s navy opened fire on a large Indian crude oil tanker north of Oman. This tanker had about 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. After this attack, new concerns have arisen regarding maritime security. The two Indian aircraft that were fired upon are Jag Arnav and Sanmar Herald. According to initial reports, Jag Arnav was a direct hit, while Sanmar Herald was nearby but unhurt.

The Indian Navy is gathering information on the matter. The Indian Navy currently has no ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but two destroyers, a frigate and a tanker are stationed in the Gulf of Oman. Showing seriousness over this incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has summoned the Ambassador of Iran Dr. Mohammad Fatahi at 6:30 pm. India has advocated open and free navigation. Officials said that there was another Indian tanker near the attacked tanker but it was not attacked.

Is the Strait of Hormuz important?

The Strait of Hormuz is located between Iran and Oman. About 20 percent of the world’s crude oil passes through this route. India is one of the major oil importers from the Gulf region. So security in this region is very important for India.

During the ongoing war with the US, Iran had allowed the passage of ships from friendly countries like India, but other countries were being threatened. On Friday, Iran announced the temporary opening of the strait, after which a convoy of eight tankers passed through. It was the first major movement since the seven-week-old war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Trump announced

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran has agreed to open the strait. But he also warned that if a peace deal is not reached, fighting could resume. Iran has accused the US of intercepting its tankers.

On Saturday, the situation worsened again. Iran’s military said the U.S. was not living up to its commitments, so strict controls were imposed on the strait. The Iranian Navy sent a radio message saying ‘All ships be careful, the US did not listen to it, so Hormuz is completely closed. No aircraft of any country is allowed to pass through.