New Delhi says 11 Indians were on the ship attacked in the Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi stated on Sunday that there were 11 Indian nationals aboard the vessel attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran and the United States have resumed hostilities.

According to AFP in New Delhi, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement: "Of the 11 Indian citizens on board, 10 have so far been rescued, while one Indian national is believed to be missing."

The ministry noted that rescue operations are ongoing.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) accused Iran of attacking the container ship "GFS Galaxy," which flies the flag of Cyprus.

UKMTO, a British maritime security agency, reported the attack occurred 9 nautical miles (approximately 17 kilometers) east of the Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman, causing fires on board and forcing crew members to abandon ship in lifeboats.

This attack comes as Iran announced on Sunday it would close the Strait of Hormuz following renewed conflict with the United States, further undermining the ceasefire agreement that nominally remains in effect.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs described the attack on the merchant vessel as "particularly worrying."

The ministry's statement said: "The freedom of unimpeded navigation on international sea routes in this region under international law must be restored as soon as possible […]."

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding including a ceasefire clause on June 17, agreeing to find a final solution to the war within 60 days.

Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that due to Iran’s attacks on ships, the ceasefire agreement has been "terminated," while allowing negotiations to continue.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1870549373535244/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.