Around 23,000 Indian sailors are possibly stranded across the conflict-hit Gulf region amid the ongoing war between the United States, Israel and Iran that caused disruption on maritime routes.
According to an NDTV Profit report, as of Thursday, 36 Indian-flagged vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf.
The crisis has been triggered by recent military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets, after which Tehran effectively moved to block the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but crucial maritime corridor through which nearly 20% of the world’s crude oil supply passes.
In response, the Indian government has intensified surveillance in sensitive maritime zones to protect its shipping assets. Authorities have increased the monitoring frequency of vessels from once every six hours to hourly checks and are maintaining continuous contact with the crews onboard the affected ships.
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At present, two Indian-flagged vessels are sailing through the Gulf of Aden, while none are currently transiting the volatile Red Sea. A total of 36 Indian-flagged ships with 1,074 Indian crew members are in the nearby region, including seven belonging to the state-run Shipping Corporation of India.
According to tracking data, 12 vessels are located east of the strait in the Gulf of Oman, while 24 ships remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz. Most of these vessels are transporting essential energy cargo such as crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), along with other commercial goods.
