India Lodges Strong Protest with Iran After Sailor Killed in Strait of Hormuz Attack

The Indian government summoned a senior Iranian diplomat in New Delhi, the Indian capital, on Tuesday (14 July) to protest against an attack on two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian missile attack killed an Indian sailor and injured several others.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (14/7/2026), said it had summoned the deputy head of the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to convey a “strong protest” over the attack, which reportedly took place that Tuesday (14 July) morning.

The two vessels carried a total of 46 crew members, including 30 Indian nationals, one of whom, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, “tragically lost his life”.

“India is deeply concerned about the attack on two vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz today,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The Iranian Embassy declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

India and Iran share long-standing ties rooted in centuries of cultural and trade relations.

Tuesday’s (14 July) attack by Iran came after the United States launched its latest strikes against Iran, marking a new escalation in the conflict between the two countries.

India is one of the largest contributors of seafarers to global merchant shipping, with more than 320,000 active sailors in 2025.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also called for an immediate end to violence and the resumption of dialogue and diplomacy “in accordance with international law”.

Earlier, another commercial vessel carrying 11 Indian nationals was attacked off the coast of Oman on Sunday (12 July) local time. Ten of them were rescued, but one person remains missing.