India at UN calls Gulf shipping attacks simply unacceptable
India has said that attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers during the ongoing Gulf conflict are "simply unacceptable", while also warning that the "weaponisation of everything" is hurting countries of the Global South. Speaking at the general debate of the high-level 81st session of the UN General Assembly, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi remained deeply concerned over continuing hostilities.
Jaishankar said India was particularly troubled by the targeting of commercial vessels and maritime crew in international waterways, and called on all sides to show restraint, de-escalate tensions, protect civilians, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of energy and commerce. He also raised concern over conflicts in other regions, including Ukraine and West Asia, and their wider impact on food, fuel and supply chains.
"This year, we are witnessing a conflict in the Gulf, one that is exacerbating an already difficult situation. We remain deeply concerned over continuing hostilities," Jaishankar said. Referring to the maritime situation, he said, "New challenges in the maritime domain have added to longstanding ones on land. There have been attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers in the Gulf, and from the Red Sea to the Black Sea." He added that it is "completely unacceptable" that seafarers from India and other countries have lost their lives in these attacks.
On the eve of his address, Jaishankar and Liberia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sara Beysolow Nyanti launched the 'Group of Friends on Safety & Security of Shipping & Seafarers'. The initiative, which has 23 other partners, is aimed at mobilising global public opinion against such attacks. "We must ensure that the safety and security of shipping and seafarers is never compromised. Scrupulously observing international law is an integral element of that endeavour," he said.
At the launch, Jaishankar referred to two recent incidents. He said the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao was attacked in the Gulf of Oman days ago, and an Indian sailor was killed. Earlier, the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was hit while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, after which an Indian crew member went missing.
India also used the UN platform to voice concern over the broader fallout of global conflicts. "Even as we meet, conflicts and confrontations remain our primary preoccupation. The inability to maintain peace is not just undermining security, but threatening progress, and retarding development," Jaishankar said. He added that in a globalised world, wars affect countries far removed from the conflict zones, with those most impacted often having the least say.
"What we are actually seeing is a weaponisation of everything. A mindset of extreme competition has set in, undermining institutions, and establishing chokepoints. It extends from the world of finance to constricting market access, disrupting supply chains and withholding technology," he said. He said resources and connectivity were increasingly being used as leverage, and while countries were focused on de-risking and diversifying, "the overall atmosphere is no longer that of trust or goodwill".
Emphasising that peace is more than the absence of war, Jaishankar said, "If the world is subjected to continuous threats and pressures, then we are really living on the edge of an abyss. All it takes is one more step to push us over." He said it was imperative to strengthen stability, security and predictability, adding that these were essential conditions for peace.
On Ukraine, Jaishankar said the conflict, now in its fifth year, was equally concerning. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the SCO Summit in August, he said that "endless war must give way now to an end to war". He added, "India supports ongoing initiatives to bring peace. Even as this is underway, there is an urgent need to address the security of seafarers, and supply of food grains and energy. India is prepared to do everything possible to ameliorate this situation, especially with regard to food and energy security."
He also described tensions and violence in West Asia as regrettable and said, "We strongly believe that a durable and lasting peace requires a two-state solution. In the meantime, India is contributing to humanitarian assistance and relief efforts for the Palestinian people." Jaishankar said the Global South faced a particularly acute "4F crisis" involving food, fuel, fertiliser and finance. He warned that the combined impact of a Super El Nino, fertiliser shortages and obstacles to grain movement was cause for alarm, and added that non-market practices, market denial and the misuse of AI were further deepening anxieties. In its message at the UN, India underlined the need to reduce conflict, protect shipping and seafarers, and address the growing pressures bearing down on the Global South.
