India deeply concerned about blockades in Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb, says govt.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses a bi-weekly media briefing, in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI India is “deeply concerned” by the blockades in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), even as the Houthis ramped up attacks on Saudi cities and a ship, carrying 14 Indian seafarers, was targeted on Sunday off the Oman coast.The developments in the Red Sea region were discussed on Sunday when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Delhi. More than 2.4 million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, where several cities – including Abha, Jeddah, Jazan, Taif, Yanbu, Makkah, and AlUla – are on alert amid attacks from the Houthis. Saudi forces have carried out dozens of missile strikes on Yemen in retaliation.“We have condemned the attack on the Saudi sovereign territory, including on civilian infrastructure and economic assets. Such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb,” Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing, calling the Houthi strikes “unacceptable”.However, he said oil supplies from the region had not been affected thus far.Mr. Jaiswal said Omani authorities are helping with search operations for a missing Indian seafarer after a ship with 23 crew members, including 14 Indians onboard, was hit off the Omani coast. The Panamanian oil tanker El Gaia was believed to have struck an Iranian mine in the Strait of Hormuz and was being towed back to Oman. All but two crew members, including 13 Indians, were rescued. The U.S. military has claimed that the ship was targeted by an Iranian missile last month, and by a drone over the weekend.“We deeply thank the Omani authorities for rescuing our nationals, and our Embassy (in Muscat) is in close touch,” Mr. Jaiswal said. “The targeting of commercial shipping, targeting of seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable to us. We also urge that free and safe navigation and flow of commerce through international waterways in the region be restored at the earliest,” he added.The incident occurred over the weekend when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in Delhi for the BRICS Summit. In talks with him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for “safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers”. However, the readout did not mention any assurances from the Iranian President on allowing safe passage for Indian ships and seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz.The spokesperson took questions on comments from Beijing about Mr. Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on Saturday. After returning to Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that the two leaders had reached an “important consensus” and claimed that Mr. Modi had said India would not allow “any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory” in response to Mr. Xi’s concerns.Mr. Jaiswal said New Delhi had “seen” Mr. Wang’s comments, but added that Mr. Modi’s reference was to sensitivity for both Delhi and Beijing’s concerns. “Prime Minister [Modi] referred to Indian concerns as well and underlined that both sides should show sensitivity to each other’s core concerns and be guided by the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity,” he said. Published - September 15, 2026 09:10 pm IST