‘Completely unacceptable’: EAM Jaishankar demands action over attacks on Indian sailors

India told the UN that countries far from conflicts are being penalised for no fault of theirs, as EAM Jaishankar renewed his warning over attacks on ships and sailors in the Gulf, citing incidents where Indian crew members were killed or went missing.

4 min readSep 27, 2026 06:57 AM IST First published on: Sep 27, 2026 at 06:56 AM IST

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters. (Photo: AP)

The war in the Gulf has spread beyond land and air, pulling in shipping lanes used by countries that have no stake in the fighting. Against this backdrop, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the General Debate at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, setting out India’s position on the conflict and its impact on global trade routes.

In his speech, Jaishankar said countries with no role in ongoing conflicts are being made to pay the price for them, and renewed India’s warning over attacks on ships and sailors in the Gulf, according to PTI.

Jaishankar said nations that have no part in a conflict often end up bearing its cost the most.

“Countries far from conflicts are being penalised for no fault of theirs. Those most impacted often have the least say. This assembly must face up to the true state of affairs,” Jaishankar said.

He linked this directly to the war in the Gulf. “This year, we are witnessing a conflict in the Gulf, one that is exacerbating an already difficult situation. We remain deeply concerned over continuing hostilities,” he said.

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Jaishankar said ships and crew passing through international waters have become targets, and called this unacceptable.

How Indian sailors have been hit

Jaishankar pointed to two recent incidents involving Indian crew members.

• The first was the strike on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao in the Gulf of Oman, in which an Indian sailor was killed. Jaishankar referred to this attack while speaking at the launch of a new maritime safety group on Friday.
• The second was the case of the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia, which was struck while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. An Indian crew member went missing after that attack.

India said the targeting of commercial shipping and seafarers passing through international waters is “simply unacceptable,” and noted that such attacks have taken place “in the Gulf, and from the Red Sea to the Black Sea.”

#WATCH | New York: Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar says, "Countries far from conflicts are being penalized for no fault of theirs. Those most impacted often have the least say. This assembly must face up to the true state… pic.twitter.com/S3hoYiFXQw

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2026

Why Indian sailors are exposed

Large numbers of Indian seafarers work on Indian-flagged as well as foreign-flagged vessels. Many of these ships pass through high-risk waters, including the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb, Black Sea and waters off Somalia.

This puts Indian crew members at direct risk whenever conflict spills over into shipping lanes.

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India’s response

On Friday, India and Liberia formally set up the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers. India said it has joined Liberia and 23 other partners in this effort to build global support against such attacks on ships and crew.

“We must ensure that the safety and security of shipping and seafarers is never compromised. Scrupulously observing international law is an integral element of that endeavour,” Jaishankar said.

He also called on all sides in the ongoing conflicts to show restraint, reduce tensions, protect civilians, and keep the flow of energy and trade uninterrupted.

India’s position at the UN was direct: attacks on ships and sailors must stop, and countries must work together to keep sea routes safe.

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