Strongly against attacks on merchant shipping: India tells UNSC amid ongoing Iran conflict
India has voiced its strong opposition to attacks on merchant shipping amid the ongoing Iran conflict, telling the UN Security Council that several of its citizens have died or are missing due to attacks in the region.
“We have expressed our deep concern over the conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region, which unfortunately started in the holy month of Ramadan, and have called on all parties to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize the safety of civilians,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said on Wednesday (June 10, 2026).
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In an open debate at the UN Security Council on “Maintaining International Peace and Security: Promoting Political Solutions in the Middle East: Mediation and Dialogue for a Lasting Peace”, Mr Parvathaneni said that India was strongly opposed to attacks on merchant shipping as many of its nationals were prominent in its global workforce.
“Many Indian nationals have lost their lives or are missing as a result of attacks against countries in the region and against merchant vessels and maritime communication routes,” he said.
Mr. Parvathaneni’s remarks at the Security Council came just hours after India summoned US chargé d’affaires Jason Meeks in Delhi and lodged a strong protest against the US attack on the commercial tanker Settebello with 24 Indian crew members off the coast of Oman.
Three of the 24 crew members on board the vessel went missing after the attack.
The attack on Settebello came two days after a Palau-flagged vessel carrying 24 Indians was attacked by the US Navy as the ship tried to evade the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Noting that nearly 10 million Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf region, Mr. Parvathaneni emphasized that their safety and well-being is India’s top priority.
“Our trade and energy supply chains depend on stability in the region and any major disruption has serious implications for the Indian economy,” he said, adding that the escalation of the Iran conflict and its spread to other countries had caused great anxiety.
“The mounting destruction and deaths and the cessation of normal life and economic activities have deeply affected India, its close neighbor with critical interests in the security and stability of the region,” he said.
India strongly reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to avoid restrictions on freedom of navigation and trade, avoid military targeting of commercial shipping, avoid targeting civilian populations and infrastructure, and seek an early end to the conflict. New Delhi also expressed its support for all efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of the issues.
India has expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, noting the immense humanitarian and human toll in terms of loss of life, injury and large-scale displacement of vulnerable civilian populations, impediments to freedom of navigation and consequent impact on the global flow of trade, including massive disruption of established supply chains and global energy supplies.
India said that the situation in Gaza has serious humanitarian implications that require a lasting ceasefire, a humanitarian approach and a credible path to a lasting and peaceful solution based on a negotiated two-state solution with a sovereign, independent, viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel within secure and recognized borders.
“This remains the only way to achieve lasting peace and overall prosperity,” Parvathaneni said.
He told the Council that India would in the coming days hand over $2.5 million to the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which would be the first tranche of Delhi’s annual contribution of $5 million to the agency.
Amidst the crisis in Lebanon, India has called for respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, stressing that Indian troops are deployed in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“We call for the security and protection of peacekeepers. They are carrying out a vital mandate given by this Council and must not be targeted. India will also send medical aid to Lebanon,” he said.
India condemned the attacks against UN peacekeepers deployed in Lebanon and called for an immediate and thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. India further emphasized that mediation frameworks once established are not fit for purpose forever.
“If they fail to fulfill their mandated tasks and new realities emerge that render such earlier frameworks redundant, we must adapt and continue our efforts in accordance with the new realities,” Mr. Parvathaneni said.
Citing the example of the Palestinian issue, he said it was full of outdated mediation frameworks that were not relevant in today’s context.
“Today’s Gaza peace plan and the Peace Council framework are very different compared to earlier frameworks,” he said.
India told the Council that raging conflicts in various parts of the world and immeasurable human suffering are driving factors for the United Nations, which faces questions of legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness.
“The perception of this organization has changed considerably among the world’s citizens due to its inability to resolve conflict situations. The primary reason was the eight-decade-old, outdated architecture of the Security Council, the main body of the United Nations tasked with maintaining international peace and security,” he said as he called for real reforms from Delhi, through the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories in line with current geopolitical realities.
Published – 11 Jun 2026 09:29 IST