Shipping through the waterway has been severely disrupted since February 28, when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
Iran moved to shut the waterway soon after the US-Israeli bombing began, and Washington responded weeks later with a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran, which has imposed strict restrictions on traffic, allows only a few vessels to pass through the waterway while others undergo screening and, in some cases, pay transit fees.
At least 15 Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on ships in the region since the conflict began in February.
In the latest incident, an Indian sailor was killed in an attack on the commercial vessel MSV Al Jusufi near Limah in Oman on Monday evening.
India, which has been consistently calling for finding a solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, has termed the continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region as “deeply concerning”.
India has said that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest.
Source: www.newindianexpress.com
