India deeply concerned about blockades in Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb, says govt.
The Indian government has expressed deep concern over Houthi-led blockades in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, which threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation. The situation escalated after an oil tanker carrying Indian crew members was targeted off the coast of Oman.
Why it matters
The disruption of critical maritime chokepoints like the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait poses significant risks to global energy security and the safety of international merchant shipping.
India is “deeply concerned” by the blockades in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), even as the Houthis ramped up attacks on Saudi cities and a ship, carrying 14 Indian seafarers, was targeted on Sunday off the Oman coast.
The developments in the Red Sea region were discussed on Sunday when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Delhi. More than 2.4 million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, where several cities – including Abha, Jeddah, Jazan, Taif, Yanbu, Makkah, and AlUla – are on alert amid attacks from the Houthis. Saudi forces have carried out dozens of missile strikes on Yemen in retaliation.
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