Attacks on vessels with Indian seafarers, Iranian ‘service fee’ may feature in IORA meet

At the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), commencing on Monday (June 15, 2026), all eyes will be on India, which may put forth concerns over the U.S.’s recent attacks on four vessels with Indian seafarers on board.

India is the current Chair of the regional maritime cooperative association, which also has Iran, the UAE, Yemen, and Oman as its members — countries which have also been directly affected by the conflict in West Asia, and maritime disruptions caused by the American blockade and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. too features as a ‘dialogue partner’ at the association, in the role of an observer, wherein it participates and discusses issues but does not have voting rights.

Although the IORA’s charter explicitly bars members from raising issues that do not concern regional cooperation, in the broader scheme of things, India could look to utilise the forum for airing its concerns in the maritime space.

The Committee of Senior Officials is the IORA’s second-highest decision-making body.

The platform, with members spanning across continents, could be an avenue for a dialogue on the prevailing broader maritime concerns, and potentially, cooperation in the realm.

Besides issues specific to India, other member countries too would find themselves in the spotlight, particularly Iran, as it seeks to impose a ‘service fee’ on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

“According to international laws, it is not possible to impose toll on the Strait of Hormuz, but service fees will be collected, and this will be established in the negotiations,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.

Indian seafarers

In the past five days, the U.S. has attacked three foreign-flagged vessels that had Indian seafarers on board, for violating the naval blockade. The blockade imposed by the U.S. bars the use of Iranian ports, and the transportation of Iranian oil.

The Indian government has twice summoned the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks in the past three days. The Ministry of External Affairs has “lodged a strong protest” and described the incidents as “deeply worrisome”.

In a statement, the U.S.’s Central Command has stated that, since April 13, 2026, it has overall “disabled” nine vessels which were not complying to the blockade, whilst allowing passage for 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid.

Immediate concerns

Speaking to The Hindu at 10th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius on April 11, 2026, Mauritius’ Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful had said the idea of the Indian Ccean as a “zone of peace” had been negated as the “war has come” to the ocean.

While denouncing the U.S. torpedo attack on Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing more than 80 sailors in March 2026, he also expressed his concerns over retaliatory attacks by Iran on the U.S.’s Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos archipelago.