India seeks early consular access for 16 Indian crew detained in Iran; asks UAE firm to arrange legal help

India on Saturday pressed for early consular access to the 16 Indian crew members detained by Iranian authorities.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Embassy of India in Iran said it was informed about the detention of the crew members of the MT Valiant Roar in mid-December 2025. Following this, the Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas formally wrote to the Iranian government on December 14, seeking consular access to the detained crew.

The MT Valiant Roar was intercepted by the IRGC on December 8, 2025, in international waters near Dibba Port in the UAE. Iranian authorities have accused the vessel of smuggling 6,000 metric tonnes of fuel.


According to the embassy, the request for consular access has been reiterated several times since then through diplomatic correspondence as well as in-person meetings held in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including engagements at the ambassadorial level. Indian authorities have also urged Iranian officials to allow the detained crew members to communicate with their families in India.



The consulate also reached out to the UAE-based company that owns the vessel on December 15 and has remained in contact with the firm’s Iran-based agents. The embassy said it has consistently pressed the ship-owning company to ensure adequate supplies of food, water and fuel for the vessel, and to arrange legal representation for the crew in Iranian courts.

“Upon being informed by the ship of depleting food and water stocks, the Mission intervened with the Iranian navy to arrange emergency supplies of food and water in early January,” the statement added.

On the future course of action, the embassy said the matter is expected to be subject to judicial process in Iran. However, it added that the Mission and the Consulate continue to press the Iranian authorities to grant early consular access to the crew and to ensure the expeditious completion of judicial proceedings.