Indian Navy rescues 20 Iranian crew members from Somali pirates in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy rescued 20 Iranian crew members from a vessel hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea, about 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai, officials said. The Indian Navy said on Tuesday that the hijacking posed a significant maritime security threat, including the possibility that the vessel could be used as a "mother ship" to launch further pirate attacks on merchant shipping in the region.

In a statement, the Indian Navy said it tasked a mission-deployed warship to intervene, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The platforms located the vessel after persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and used calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape, according to the statement.

Iran's Embassy in New Delhi expressed its appreciation for the rescue mission in a statement on the social media platform X on Tuesday, commending the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. "We highly commend the professionalism, courage and effective coordination demonstrated by the Indian Armed Forces, reflecting India's strong commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and its role in saving lives beyond borders," the embassy wrote, according to Press TV. "This humanitarian operation stands as a testament to the spirit of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Iran and India," it added.

The hijacking comes amid a renewed resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, threatening the safety of fishermen, commercial vessels and maritime traffic in the region. According to Mehr News, the operation was carried out some 3,000 km from Mumbai, and the Indian Navy described the vessel's seizure as a significant threat to shipping before its warship and reconnaissance aircraft intervened.