Widespread Deployment of Indian Naval Ships Near the Red Sea to Combat Piracy

Indian officials announced on Wednesday, January 31, that at least 12 warships have been deployed in the eastern Red Sea to ensure maritime security against the threat of pirates. Concurrently, as Western powers focus on countering attacks by Houthi forces supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran on international shipping in the region, the Indian Navy has inspected over 250 vessels so far. According to Reuters, although India has not joined the U.S.-led Red Sea Task Force and has no warships there, currently two Indian warships are stationed in the Gulf of Aden and at least 10 warships and reconnaissance aircraft are deployed in the Arabian Sea, marking India's largest naval deployment in the region. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's Foreign Minister, stated at a public event on Tuesday that India's growing capabilities, interests, and credibility necessitate the country to provide assistance in challenging circumstances. Other countries, including the United States, France, and China, also have a naval presence in the region, but Indian officials claim that India's presence is the most significant. According to these officials, Indian Navy personnel, including special commandos, have inspected over 250 ships and small boats in the past two months to combat piracy, which has resumed after a six-year hiatus. They report that since mid-December, the Indian Navy has recorded at least 17 incidents of piracy, attempted piracy, or suspicious activities in the area. Since November, the Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea, claiming to support Palestinians in the war against Israel. Approximately 12% of global shipping traffic passes through the Red Sea. Israel's attack on the Hamas militant group in Gaza occurred after Palestinian militants killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in a terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7 and took around 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, to Gaza. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. A U.S.-led task force also targeted Houthi forces in the region this month, but Indian forces state that this crisis is expanding beyond the Red Sea. An unnamed Indian Navy official told Reuters, 'Although the connection between the Houthis and pirates has been severed, pirates are trying to take advantage of this opportunity, as Western forces are focused on the Red Sea.' The Indian Navy recently rescued two Iranian vessels, assisted a Sri Lankan fishing boat, and provided aid to two commercial ships that were targeted in airstrikes. Two Indian officials, without accusing the Islamic Republic, stated that 136 Iranian-made 'Shahed' drones were used in the attacks in January. The Islamic Republic immediately denied U.S. allegations of involvement in these attacks. Harsh Pant, a foreign policy expert at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, told Reuters, 'The Indian Navy is increasingly demonstrating its capability not only to defend its interests but also to take on regional responsibilities.' Jaishankar visited Tehran this month and discussed maritime security with Iranian officials. India claims to have rescued 22 crew members of an American ship after the Houthi attack and is escorting its vessels around the Red Sea. The Pentagon stated that an attempt to hijack a commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden was carried out by Somali pirates.