India deplores ‘lethal’ attack on Gujarat-bound Thai ship; condemns targeting of commercial vessels

New Delhi: India issued a blistering condemnation on Wednesday following a maritime strike on a Thai-flagged bulk carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident New Delhi characterised as a grave escalation in the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the vessel, the Mayuree Naree, was en route to the port of Kandla in Gujarat when it was targeted on March 11. The 178-meter carrier was reportedly struck by two projectiles shortly after departing Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates, igniting a severe fire in the engine room and forcing the crew to abandon the ship.

"India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia," the ministry said in a formal statement.

Casualties and Responsibility

The Royal Navy of Oman successfully rescued 20 of the 23 Thai sailors on board. However, three crew members remain missing and are currently feared trapped within the vessel’s damaged engine compartment.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed responsibility for the assault. In a statement carried by the ISNA news agency, the IRGC asserted that the Mayuree Naree was "hit by Iranian projectiles and stopped after ignoring the warnings" of their naval forces.

Rising Risks to Global Trade

The MEA noted that the "intensity and lethality" of attacks in the region are surging, pointing out that Indian citizens have already been among the fatalities in earlier phases of the hostilities. The government urged an immediate end to the targeting of merchant vessels to preserve the freedom of navigation and protect civilian lives.

"India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided," the statement concluded.

The Strait of Hormuz, a primary artery for the world’s energy supply, has seen a dramatic slowdown in traffic as shipping firms reroute vessels to avoid the increasingly volatile waterway.