“We attach very high importance to freedom of navigation, and free movement of commercial shipping. It is an evolving situation and we are looking at all aspects of it,” Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

“As you know, we have Indian Navy ships patrolling the area. They are also keeping a watch on Indian ships there. So far, we are not part of any multilateral initiative in the area. We are looking at the unfolding situation very closely,” he said.

The remarks came days after Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto came under drone attack off India’s west coast. The vessel had 21 Indian crew members, and the drone strike created panic among the security circles in New Delhi. One more commercial vessel bound for India came under a drone strike in the Red Sea on the same day.

Indian Navy responded to the emergency calls from the commercial vessel and carried out the rescue operations. The maritime forces have increased surveillance in the Indian Ocean region amid rising tensions among the countries in the Middle East.

Why Houthi rebels are attacking vessels in the Red Sea?

The Yemen-based Houthi rebels, who are politically aligned with Iran, launched several attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea after November 19. The members of the group claimed that the attacks are in solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are reeling under the airstrikes of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) amid the Israel-Hamas war.

The drone strikes against the commercial vessels are creating turbulence in the oil market and increasing the costs for shipping companies as they need to take a detour through the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea, which adds 3,500 nautical miles to the journey.

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Published: 04 Jan 2024, 09:44 PM IST