Hormuz Tanker Strikes: India Protests US Action on Ships With Indian Crew
Why in the news
India sharply criticised a series of strikes by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on tankers with Indian crew in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Several Indian seafarers were killed, went missing or were injured, raising legal questions under UNCLOS and straining India-US ties.
Key facts
- Who struck: US Central Command.
- Where: Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.
- US reason: enforcing a maritime blockade on Iranian petroleum exports; non-compliant commercial ships carrying Iranian products were intercepted or fired on.
- Tankers: M/T Jalveer (Guinea-Bissau flag), Settebello (Palau flag) and MT Marivex.
- Wider effects: implications for maritime trade, war-risk insurance and global energy security.
Strait of Hormuz
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Between Iran (north) and Oman (south) |
| Links | Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea |
| Oil flow | About 21 million barrels a day of crude and condensates |
| Share of trade | Around 20-25 per cent of global liquid petroleum trade |
| Destination | 80 per cent of crude passing through goes to Asia (China, India, Japan, South Korea) |
A closure or disruption can push global oil prices sharply higher.
UNCLOS
- The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted 10 December 1982 at Montego Bay, Jamaica; in force from 16 November 1994.
- Called the “Constitution of the Oceans”; 170 states plus the EU are parties, India among them.
- Guarantees neutral commercial ships innocent passage through international waters and key straits like Hormuz, protecting lawful trade from arbitrary interference.
- Zones: territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles; contiguous zone up to 24; EEZ up to 200; continental shelf up to 350 in some cases; plus the high seas and the international seabed area.
- India ratified it in 1995 and has invoked it in the Italian Marines (Enrica Lexie, 2012) case and the India-Bangladesh maritime boundary case.
- India does not accept a blanket US right to take sovereign-control-like operational action on the high seas without UN Security Council backing.
About CENTCOM
- One of 11 Unified Combatant Commands of the US Armed Forces.
- Area of responsibility: 20 countries across the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.
- Headquarters in Tampa, Florida; forward HQ at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Exam angle
- UNCLOS dates: adopted 1982, in force 1994, ratified by India 1995.
- Maritime zone limits: 12, 24, 200 and up to 350 nautical miles.
- Related terms: chokepoint, innocent passage, blockade, war-risk insurance.