Recently, two Indian merchant ships were attacked one after another, triggering serious dissatisfaction and a strong response from the Indian authorities. The first to be attacked was the Indian tanker MV Saibaba, which was attacked by drones in southern Red Sea waters, and the 25 Indian crew members on board were lucky not to be injured. The second to be attacked was the oil tanker MVCHEMPLUTO, and a suicide drone struck the stern of the ship with pinpoint accuracy, causing a large hole and a small fire.
The Indian authorities were annoyed and unhappy with the two attacks. First, the attacks took place not in the traditional Middle East sphere of influence, but near the Indian mainland, just 200 nautical miles off the coast. For India, this is a provocation that rushes to the doorstep and cannot be ignored. Second, these attacks have exposed the vulnerability of Indian merchant ships at sea, posing a threat to India's oil imports and ***. Faced with this situation, the Indian authorities decided to take harsh retaliatory actions.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made a public statement at the commissioning ceremony of India's third Visakhapatnam-class destroyer, saying that India would pursue the attackers and take harsh retaliatory action regardless of whether they hid at the bottom of the sea. Singh noted that the attacks were due to India's growing economic and strategic power, which has filled some forces with envy and hatred. He also announced that India had deployed four destroyers and maritime patrol aircraft to the Middle East to monitor the situation, showing how seriously the Indian authorities were concerned about the attack.
However, Singh did not publicly name the true identity and motives of the attackers. According to the preliminary findings of the US military, it is possible that the Houthis in Yemen launched a drone attack on the "Saibaba". These drone strikes are one of the Houthis' recent frequent operations against merchant ships from various countries. The Houthis attacked Indian merchant ships not out of jealousy of India's developments, but because these merchant ships had direct ties to Israel.
The Indian authorities' response was aimed at sending a warning to the Houthis to refrain from further indiscriminate attacks on Indian merchant ships. Both the deployment of Indian destroyers and the dispatch of maritime patrol aircraft are aimed at enhancing maritime security and protecting India's national interests. However, compared to other countries such as the United States, India's capabilities and strength are not enough to deal with the Houthis alone. Therefore, India needs to strengthen cooperation with other countries to maintain the security and stability of the Middle East shipping routes.
The Middle East route is one of the world's most important shipping corridors, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa** and energy transportation. For India, the Middle East route is the main channel for its oil imports and the key to ensuring the country's economic and energy security. Therefore, ensuring the safety of the Middle East route is of strategic importance for India.
India has the capacity and responsibility to maintain the safety of the Middle East shipping routes. As a major power in South Asia, India has extensive experience and strength in the field of maritime security and counter-terrorism. The Indian Navy has modern equipment and is actively involved in international joint operations, such as the fight against Somali pirates. In addition, India maintains close economic and security cooperation with countries in the Middle East.
India's role in the security of Middle East shipping routes is not only to protect its own national interests, but also to maintain regional stability and international public security. India can work with other countries to exchange intelligence, conduct joint patrols, and strengthen cooperation and operations on maritime security.
This article describes the grievances and responses to the attack on Indian merchant ships, as well as the statements and responses of the Indian defense minister. It can be seen from the article that the safety of the Middle East route is of paramount importance to India, and ensuring the safety of the route is India's strategic need. India's response has demonstrated its determination and ability to maintain the safety of shipping lanes through enhanced international cooperation.
As a country's development is inseparable from maritime and energy transportation, ensuring the safety of shipping routes is of paramount importance to any country. Personally, I believe that the safety of the Middle East shipping routes should be a topic of common concern to the international community and should be maintained through international cooperation. All countries should strengthen intelligence exchange, joint patrols and joint operations to jointly address maritime security challenges and maintain maritime peace and stability. At the same time, countries should strengthen regulation and regulation to combat maritime terrorism and illegal activities, and ensure the safety of shipping routes and the development of the global economy.