New Delhi: The audio recording of a frantic call from Indian-flagged tanker MT Sanmar Herald to the Iranian Navy has now gone viral on social media.
The tanker, which was among the two that came under fire on Saturday, is heard reminding the Sepah Navy that it was granted clearance to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The captain of the vessel, loaded with crude from Iraq, can be heard saying: “Sepah Navy! Sepah Navy! This is a motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go! My name is second on your list! You gave me clearance to go! You are firing now! Let me turn back!”
In the unfortunate incident that threatens to strain ties between the two nations, two Indian-flagged merchant vessels, including a supertanker, came under fire from Iranian gunboats on Saturday while attempting to pass through the Strait.
The ships reversed course after personnel from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire, it was reported by India Today.
The supertanker was carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil at the time of the incident, officials said. IRGC gunboats fired during the encounter as vessels were redirected westward, audio intercepts suggested. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also confirmed that two IRGC gunboats opened fire on a tanker in the Strait.
Reports had initially indicated gunfire between the Qeshm and Larak islands, prompting ves
sels to abort transit. A container ship was also reportedly hit during the episode, a maritime security source said.
There were VHF broadcasts declaring the Strait “completely closed again”. This came as a surprise as Iran had announced the Strait “completely open” to commercial shipping on Friday evening. Ships from the Persian Gulf had started moving eastward accordingly.
“Attention all ships, regarding the failure of the US government to fulfil its commitment in the negotiation, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz completely closed again. No vessel of any type or nationality is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz”, the broadcast warned.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi immediately and lodged a formal protest, expressing “deep concern” over the incident. Both the ship and it’s crew are safe, a government source confirmed.
India urged the Iranian envoy to convey New Delhi’s concerns to authorities in Tehran and called for the early resumption of safe passage for India-bound ships. The ambassador assured that he would communicate the concerns.
The Directorate General of Shipping is closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to ensure the safety of Indian seafarers and vessels operating in the region, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s representative of the Supreme Leader in India, Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, who had been underscoring age-old ties between India and Iran over the last several days, downplayed concerns over the reported firing.
He was not aware of the specifics of the incident, Ilahi told ANI.
“The relationship between Iran and India is very strong, and I don’t know anything about this event which you mentioned. We hope that it will be okay, and it will be solved,” Ilahi said.