External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that he has “ strongly urged ” Iran that attacks on cargo ships must be avoided. “Strongly urged that attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers be avoided under any circumstance.” A day later, the government directed shipping companies not to deploy Indian seafarers on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. However, on July 9, the US military launched fresh attacks on Iran hours after President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire was “over”. This came after Tehran’s alleged attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.