India condemns attack on commercial ship off Oman coast; 1 Indian missing

The Ministry of External Affairs said 10 of the 11 Indian nationals on board the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy had been rescued, while one was missing

India on Sunday condemned the attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship off the coast of Oman. The commercial vessel, which had 11 Indians on board, was allegedly struck by Iran.

 

"We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, earlier today. Of the 11 Indian nationals on board, 10 have been rescued so far, while 1 Indian National is reportedly missing. Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

 

 

Calling the attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz "deeply worrisome", the ministry said, "We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region."

 

"The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest," it added.

 

Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that Iran was behind the attack and that it was launching a third round of strikes against Tehran in response.

 

"At 7:15 p.m. ET today, US Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM stated. 

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According to CENTCOM, the Iranian strikes resulted in the ship suffering "significant engineroom damage".

 

"The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait," CENTCOM said.

 

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iran had launched warning shots at a "violating ship".

 

The IRGC also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice", saying the critical waterway would remain closed until the US ends its "intervention in the region". "No vessel will be permitted to transit the strait," Press TV reported, citing the IRGC.  (With inputs from agencies)