India halts Hormuz deployment of seafarers

India has barred shipping companies from assigning the country’s seafarers to vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, tightening safety measures after deadly attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf.

The Directorate General of Maritime Administration issued the instruction through Circular No. 36 of 2026, dated July 15, directing shipowners, ship managers and recruitment and placement service companies to stop fresh deployments on voyages involving the strategic waterway until further orders.

The decision follows the deaths of two seafarers from India in attacks on commercial vessels over three days. Other crew members were injured as fighting around Iran and adjoining Gulf waters intensified, exposing tankers and cargo ships to missile, drone and maritime security threats.

The regulator said the security risks facing crews and commercial ships had increased significantly. Masters of vessels already operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters were instructed to maintain heightened vigilance and continuously monitor navigational warnings, security alerts and instructions issued by coastal authorities.

The order does not amount to a blanket prohibition on all shipping operations in the Gulf. It primarily prevents companies from sending new crews from India aboard vessels whose scheduled routes include passage through Hormuz. Operators remain responsible for safeguarding personnel already stationed aboard ships in the affected area.

India is the world’s third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 personnel serving across international shipping fleets. Their concentration on foreign-flagged tankers, bulk carriers and container ships makes the country particularly exposed when conflict disrupts major sea lanes.

More than 15,000 seafarers from India are estimated to be aboard vessels located west of the Strait of Hormuz. Seafarers’ unions have urged authorities and shipping companies to draw up evacuation, crew-change and repatriation plans for personnel stranded in areas where normal marine traffic has slowed or become unsafe.

Union representatives have warned that stopping new deployments addresses only part of the risk. Ships already inside the Persian Gulf may face delays in securing safe passage, finding replacement crews or reaching ports where personnel can disembark and travel home.

Officials from the Consulate General of India in Dubai have visited hospitalised crew members from the tankers MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, which were affected by attacks near the waterway. The injured seafarers were assured medical, consular and logistical assistance.

New Delhi also summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador and lodged a strong protest following one of the fatalities. The diplomatic intervention reflected mounting concern over attacks affecting civilians and crews working aboard internationally operated merchant vessels.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying large volumes of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas from Gulf producers to markets in Asia, Europe and elsewhere.

Escalating military exchanges have forced ship operators to reconsider sailing schedules, insurance arrangements and crew deployment policies. Some vessels have delayed entry into the strait, altered routes or remained at anchor while operators assess naval warnings and the availability of escorted passage.

Rerouting is difficult for tankers loading at ports inside the Persian Gulf because Hormuz is their primary maritime outlet. Unlike vessels avoiding the Red Sea by sailing around Africa, ships carrying Gulf energy supplies have few practical alternatives once cargo has been loaded east or west of the waterway.

War-risk insurance premiums have risen as underwriters reassess the probability of vessel damage, crew casualties and prolonged detentions. Shipping companies may also face higher wage demands, additional security costs and contractual disputes when crews decline assignments to designated high-risk zones.

The DGMA advisory builds on earlier circulars issued during the year covering the security situation in Iran, the Persian Gulf and neighbouring waters. Previous measures required vessels to strengthen watchkeeping, maintain emergency communications, review ship security plans and coordinate with naval and maritime authorities.

The latest instruction goes further by removing fresh deployment of seafarers from India from Hormuz-linked voyages. Recruitment agencies have been told to comply even when personnel are due to join foreign-flagged vessels through overseas ports.