India summoned senior Iranian diplomats, including Deputy Chief of Mission Mohammad Javad Hosseini, to the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday to lodge a protest over the recent attack on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The summons comes after the UAE's Ministry of Defence said the national tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the strait's southern shipping lane within Omani territorial waters.
The attack killed one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa and injured eight others, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainians, with four of the injured in serious condition.
Fires broke out on both tankers but were subsequently brought under control.
The UAE condemned the strikes as "a serious violation and a clear breach of international law" and said it reserved the right to respond.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, however, has disputed this account, claiming the tankers had switched off their navigation systems, ignored warnings from Iranian maritime authorities, and strayed into a minefield, resulting in the vessels being "hit and disabled."
Tuesday's move marks the latest in a string of Indian diplomatic protests over threats to its nationals and shipping interests amid the escalating Strait of Hormuz crisis.
ALSO READ: 'Ignored Repeated Warnings': Iran's IRGC Defends Strikes On UAE Tankers In Hormuz
In April, New Delhi had summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali after an India-flagged vessel came under fire in the strait, seeking clarity from Tehran on the circumstances under which Iranian forces had engaged civilian shipping.
India has also previously pressed Iranian authorities for consular access to Indian crew members detained aboard vessels in the region amid the wider conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a flashpoint in the ongoing military confrontation between the US and Iran, with US President Donald Trump recently declaring that Washington would take control of the waterway and act as its "guardian," a claim Tehran has firmly rejected.
ALSO READ: Iran Attacks Two UAE Oil Tankers In Hormuz, One Indian Killed, Six Injured
Iran's Parliament has meanwhile introduced legislation asserting the country's sovereign management over the strait.
India, which relies heavily on the waterway for energy imports and has significant numbers of its nationals working on commercial vessels transiting the region, has repeatedly urged all parties to ensure the safety of shipping lanes and Indian crew members caught in the crossfire.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
