India has lodged a protest with Iran over the attack on Indian seafarers in Hormuz, which resulted in the death of an Indian crew member. Iran’s Deputy chief of mission has been summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs to discuss the matter. The summons comes after two UAE oil tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack occurred while the tankers were passing through the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UAE’s Ministry of Defence. The incident has escalated tensions in the Gulf, which have been rising since the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran ended on July 6-7. Iran has allegedly targeted three tankers, claiming that they had ignored repeated warnings to use Tehran-authorised shipping lanes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the vessels of bypassing these routes and operating with their navigation systems off. The US has retaliated by striking over 140 Iranian targets, and both countries have staked claim to the Strait of Hormuz. However, according to maritime laws, neither the US nor Iran has the right to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz, as it is a natural waterway.
