New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): India has summoned Iranian diplomats, including Deputy Chief of Mission Mohammad Javad Hosseini, to the Ministry of External Affairs after an Iranian missile strike on two UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz left one Indian crew member dead and several others injured.
Following the high-level meeting over the recent attack on merchant vessels in the strategic waterway, the Iranian diplomats, including the deputy chief of mission, were seen leaving the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters in the national capital.
The diplomatic move follows an official announcement by the UAE Ministry of Defence early Tuesday confirming that the UAE-flagged tankers Mombasa and Bahia were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while navigating the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.
“The national tankers (Mombasa) and (Bahia) were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles in the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters,” the UAE Ministry of Defence said.
The strike on the Mombasa killed one Indian crew member and injured eight others. Among those receiving medical treatment, four sustained serious injuries. The injured included six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals.
In addition to the casualties, the missile strikes ignited major fires aboard both commercial vessels, causing extensive damage before emergency teams brought the blazes under control.
Condemning the attack, the UAE described it as “a serious violation and a clear breach of international law.” Abu Dhabi warned that it reserved the right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.
“The state reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territories, people, and residents,” the ministry said, adding that its forces remain on high alert while urging the public to rely only on official sources for updates.
The attack comes amid escalating military tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints. Earlier, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that several “violating” vessels had been targeted in the waterway by Iranian forces.
At the same time, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Iranian navy had fired cruise missiles at what it described as a “hostile vessel of the American enemy,” citing an unnamed military source.
The latest escalation follows a series of US preemptive strikes on Iran and a widening international confrontation over control of the strategic waterway.
On Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched another round of strikes against targets inside Iran, saying the operations were intended to reduce Tehran’s ability to attack civilian vessels and commercial shipping in the region.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.
The military operations coincide with a major policy shift by US President Donald Trump, who announced that Washington was reinstating a strict naval blockade on Iranian shipping. Trump also said the United States would impose a 20% fee on eligible cargo transiting the strait to offset regional security costs.
“We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world. We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection,” Trump said.
According to the US military, enforcement of the blockade will resume Tuesday and will apply specifically to vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports while allowing non-violating international commercial traffic to continue through the waterway. (ANI)
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