Indian national killed as Iran ‘suicide boat’ hits US-owned tanker Safesea Vishnu off Iraq

An Indian national reportedly died on Wednesday after an attack by an Iranian suicide boat on a US-owned oil tanker near Iraq. The rest of the 27 crew members were rescued and taken to Basra.The incident took place when the US-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked off the Khor Al Zubair port inside Iraqi territorial waters. Sources close to Safesea told news agency PTI that the company was “devastated” by the loss and urged the Indian government to strongly condemn the attack and take urgent measures to ensure the safety of crew members in the region amid rising tensions in West Asia. It also noted that Indians make up over 15 per cent of the world’s seafarers, meaning that Indian nationals could become “collateral damage” in any similar attacks, regardless of the ship targeted.Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaswal said on Wednesday two Indian nationals, one in Israel and another in Dubai, were injured in attacks and were now recuperating. "The welfare of our diaspora is of utmost priority to us," he said.The ministry also said Indian missions in West Asia were coordinating with the concerned governments to help Indian nationals stranded in the region due to airspace closure."There is very strong inter-ministerial coordination. Whenever any assistance is required, Indian missions are immediately reaching out to assist people," MEA said.