The Indian Embassy in Tehran has said it is stepping up diplomatic efforts with Iranian authorities to secure consular access and legal assistance for 16 Indian sailors who have been detained since the seizure of their vessel, MT Valiant Roar, in December 2025. The embassy stated that it is actively engaging at multiple levels to ensure the welfare of the crew as the case moves into Iran’s judicial process.
The sailors have now been in detention for over a month, prompting New Delhi to repeatedly urge Tehran to permit communication between the detained crew and their families in India. Indian authorities have also stressed the need for proper legal representation and humane treatment, underlining that the prolonged lack of access and clarity has added to the distress of the sailors and their relatives.
According to official information, the Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas first wrote to Iranian authorities on December 14, seeking immediate consular access to the crew. This request has since been reiterated several times through formal diplomatic notes as well as in-person meetings held both in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including discussions at the ambassadorial level. Despite these efforts, access has yet to be granted.
In parallel, the Indian government has been coordinating with the UAE-based company that owns the vessel and its Iran-based agents to ensure that the crew receives regular supplies of food, water and fuel. Arrangements have also been pursued to provide legal assistance to the detained sailors. After reports emerged that provisions on board were running low, the Indian mission intervened in early January and facilitated the delivery of emergency food and water supplies with the assistance of the Iranian navy.
The vessel was intercepted on December 8, 2025, by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in international waters near Dibba Port off the UAE coast. Families of the crew and representatives of seafarers have described the interception as sudden and violent, alleging that the tanker was chased and fired upon, resulting in damage to the ship and injuries to some crew members, before it was escorted to Bandar-e-Jask port. Iranian authorities have accused the vessel of fuel smuggling, an allegation that the crew and the ship’s operators have strongly denied.
Among those detained is third engineer Ketan Mehta. His father, Mukesh Mehta, has appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Directorate General of Shipping, seeking urgent diplomatic intervention for the release of his son and the other sailors. He said his son was merely earning a livelihood at sea and had not committed any offence or violated any law, expressing deep concern over the prolonged uncertainty.
Families of the detained sailors have spoken about restricted movement, limited communication and difficult living conditions since the interception. Many say weeks have passed without clear or official information about the legal status of the crew or the exact grounds for the vessel’s seizure, further intensifying their anxiety as they await an early resolution to the case.
