India, July 29 -- India has strongly condemned recent attacks on maritime vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and the restoration of free and unimpeded navigation through international waterways in the region.

Speaking at a UN Security Council open debate on the Middle East, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said the renewed escalation of hostilities in West Asia was "deeply concerning" and urged all sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy.

Harish said several vessels, including GFS Galaxy, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz this month. Several Indian nationals were injured, including some seriously,...