India has expressed deep concern at the shooting incident involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. The Ministry of External Affairs called in the Ambassador of Iran to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali, for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi last evening. During the meeting, Mr Misri conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident involving two Indian-flagged ships.

He noted the importance that India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners and recalled that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India. Reiterating his concern at this serious incident of firing on merchant ships, the Foreign Secretary urged the Iranian Ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait. The Ministry said that the Ambassador of Iran undertook to convey these views to the Iranian authorities.