Indian navy bolsters maritime defenses after attack on tanker off coast of India

India’s navy says it has deployed three warships and reconnaissance aircraft in the Arabian Sea to “maintain a deterrent presence” after a string of recent shipping attacks.

Three guided-missile destroyers and P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft were being deployed following “the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea,” it says.

Washington accused Tehran of carrying out a drone attack on Saturday on the MV Chem Pluto tanker 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of India, claims Iran’s foreign ministry called “worthless.”

Since October 7, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels in the Red Sea. In response, the US has established a naval coalition to protect the Red Sea global shipping lane.