Indian seafarers in distress amid West Asia ship attacks, MEA briefs Parliament panel

New Delhi: Attacks on merchant ships in West Asia have emerged as a major concern, with the external affairs ministry informing a parliamentary panel that Indian seafarers are facing significant distress amid hostilities.

Indian missions and posts are extending assistance to stranded crew members, even as New Delhi keeps a sharp focus on safeguarding national interest, particularly energy security and critical trade flows, the ministry informed the panel in a note.

MEA said nearly one crore Indians in Gulf nations have been impacted. Since February 28, about 2.2 lakh Indian nationals have returned, five have been killed and one remains missing.


MEA officials briefed the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Sources said several Opposition MPs raised questions about what they termed India's "silence" on key geopolitical events, including on the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and civilian casualties.

Members also sought clarity on India's energy security strategy, position on US President Donald Trump's call for international forces in the Strait of Hormuz and the guidance issued to Indian missions regarding official messaging.

However, officials did not provide clear responses and suggested that senior officials will elaborate later.

Tharoor said after the meeting: "All members had concerns about the situation, including the safety of Indian nationals, diaspora and implications for oil and gas supplies. We got some answers. We didn't get all. The foreign secretary was not available," he said.

1,000 Indians Still in Iran and CBSE Examinations cancelled

Nearly 1,000 Indians are still in Iran while 23,000 school students based in the Gulf region could not appear in the CBSE final examinations due to the turmoil in the region.