The Indian government is taking decisive action after 10 Indian sailors were killed and dozens more injured in attacks on commercial cargo ships and oil tankers during ongoing conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding Middle East shipping lanes.

Among those killed was Shivanand Chaurasia, an engine fitter six months into his first voyage, who died on June 10 when the oil tanker MT Settebello was struck in the Gulf of Oman during an attack by the United States. Shivanand's family sold farmland to fund his training, and his wife Sushila described the devastating impact of his death, saying, "My entire world collapsed when I heard the news."

Sushila has requested 1 crore (approximately $148,500) in compensation from the Indian government to support their two children, six-year-old Samar and two-year-old Vyamika. Samar recalled that his father was trying to save money to send him to a better school and that their last conversation was the night before the attack.

Since the US-Israel war with Iran began, Indian sailors have repeatedly been caught in the crossfire, with commercial vessels targeted in the battle for control of key shipping routes. Indians constitute one of the world's largest merchant shipping workforces, with over 300,000 seafarers employed globally.

The US has alleged that the ship Shivanand Chaurasia was on was carrying sanctioned Iranian oil, a claim denied by the vessel operator, who stated the ship was not associated with Tehran and that no warning was given before the attack.

In response to the deaths, New Delhi summoned Iran's deputy ambassador to lodge a strong protest and announced a series of new measures aimed at protecting Indian seafarers. An unnamed source told ABC that one affected individual was "completely shaken for the first 10 days after he returned."

Sources