The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has strengthened monitoring and preparedness in response to the evolving maritime situation in West Asia, aiming to safeguard Indian seafarers, secure Indian vessels and maintain trade. A high?level inter?ministerial review was chaired by the Secretary, MoPSW, and attended by representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and industry bodies. The meeting followed an earlier assessment by the Union Minister.

MoPSW informed stakeholders of measures being taken and has activated a 24?hour helpline at the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to support seafarers and coordinate responses. A monitoring cell at MoPSW will track developments and issue situation reports. Precautionary guidance was issued through DGS Circular No. 08 of 2026 dated 28 February 2026 and DGS Circular 08 of 2024, while DGS Circular No. 09 of 2026 advises registration with the Embassy of India in Tehran and submission of crew details to the Directorate.

Indian?flagged ships have been reported safe and no confirmed detention, boarding or casualty has been recorded. All 35 Indian?flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf region, including 24 west of the Strait of Hormuz and 11 east including the Gulf of Oman and adjoining areas, and three vessels in the Gulf of Aden are being tracked through the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) National Data Centre at hourly intervals with regular situation reports. Monitoring covers foreign?flagged vessels carrying Indian seafarers to sustain situational awareness.

Major ports have been directed to assist trade operations and minimise hardships for exporters, with measures to monitor vessel movements, assess developments in real time and report vessel and cargo status. Additional storage has been arranged where required and refrigerated and perishable consignments are being prioritised for handling. Shipping companies, vessel operators and recruitment and placement licensees have been advised to exercise caution in crew deployment, undertake voyage?specific risk assessments and maintain communication with seafarers as the Ministry continues to coordinate with relevant ministries and stakeholders.