New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- India is closely monitoring the safety and well-being of over 4,500 Indian seafarers currently operating on commercial vessels across the Persian Gulf, including 163 seafarers on board 12 active cargo ships, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday.

Addressing the media, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal detailed the current footprint of Indian maritime workers in the region, noting that six India-flagged commercial vessels and six foreign-flagged cargo ships bound for India are presently navigating the Persian Gulf waters.

"At this point, we have six India-flagged commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf. We also have six foreign-flagged vessels which are carrying cargo to India. So 12 ships are t...