The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Sarthak, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, has made a port call at Chabahar, Iran. The ship will remain in the port till the 19th of this month. During the port call, ICG Ship Sarthak will engage in a wide range of professional and community-oriented activities with the Iranian Navy and other Iranian maritime agencies.
These engagements include courtesy calls and professional interactions aimed at strengthening institutional linkages and enhancing mutual understanding in maritime safety and security. The port call will also feature joint training activities focusing on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), and Marine Pollution Response (MPR).
A marine pollution response demonstration will be conducted in Chabahar Harbour, targeting oil spills and Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) incidents, to showcase coordinated response mechanisms. In addition to professional engagements, the visit will feature sports fixtures and a beach walkathon, with the participation of embarked National Cadet Corps cadets, aligning with the national Puneet Sagar Abhiyan to promote marine environmental awareness and coastal cleanliness.
This visit marks the first-ever port call by an Indian Coast Guard ship at Chabahar, underscoring India’s growing maritime engagement in the region. It aims to strengthen New Delhi’s ability to project economic influence, secure supply lines to Afghanistan and Central Asia, and advance a competing development model in line with India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR vision of secure and cooperative maritime engagements.
The port call at Chabahar follows the ship’s earlier visit to Kuwait, where ICG Ship Sarthak successfully interacted with the Kuwait Coast Guard, further highlighting the Indian Coast Guard’s expanding footprint and constructive engagement with regional maritime partners.
Chabahar, located on the northern flank of the Gulf of Oman, is a strategically placed deep-water port that offers India a direct maritime gateway to Iran, land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia, a shorter and geopolitically independent alternative to routes that transit Pakistan. This connectivity enables New Delhi to expand trade and transit linkages, including linkages to the International North-South Transport Corridor.
