India urges seafarers to avoid Iranian waters

The Indian Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has issued a strong advisory to all Indian seafarers and shipping companies to avoid Iranian territorial waters.

IMAGE: Flags of India and Iran. Getty Images

The notice comes shortly after a similar advisory was issued by the US Department of Transportation (DoT).

The DGS has advised Indian seafarers and shipping stakeholders “to exercise extreme caution” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

It has further urged India-linked mariners currently in Iran to remain vigilant and “avoid unnecessary shore movement.”

“[Indian] shipping companies, trade unions, and maritime associations are instructed not to deploy Indian seafarers to Iran until further orders,” the DGS said in a statement.

The development has supported Brent crude’s price, with market participants once again factoring in an Iran-related risk premium.

“The oil market is concerned those potential attacks could also be aimed at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz,” remarked ANZ Bank’s senior commodity strategist Daniel Hynes.

The advisory comes ahead of a third round of indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran in Geneva, scheduled for Thursday.  

Earlier in December 2025, US President Donald Trump said Washington would confront Tehran if the OPEC member failed to reach a deal and continued with its nuclear ambitions – a decision strongly opposed by the US.

Threat to commercial vessels

Geopolitical instability, particularly in the Middle East, has long posed risks to key maritime routes and commercial shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are among the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, given their strategic roles in linking major producing regions with global energy markets.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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