The Indian Navy was minutes away from striking Pakistan from the sea during Operation Sindoor when Islamabad requested stoppage of kinetic actions, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Wednesday.The Navy chief was speaking at the naval investiture ceremony here, where he awarded Yudh Seva Medals to two top naval officers for their distinguished service during Operation Sindoor conducted last year after the Pahalgam terror attack.Operation Sindoor demonstrated exemplary readiness and resolve of the Indian Navy, as its units undertook swift deployment and maintained a highly aggressive posture throughout the period, he said.”It is not a hidden fact anymore that we were just minutes away from striking Pakistan from the sea, when they requested stoppage of kinetic actions,” Admiral Tripathi said on the navy’s role in the operation.Through swift and resolute actions during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Navy reinforced the nation’s confidence and trust in its capabilities, he added.Talking about the West Asia conflict, he said that ever since the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran broke out, more than 20 merchant vessels have been attacked in the region.Nearly 1,900 vessels remain stranded amid the hostilities, he said, adding that the daily traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply to six-seven transits, compared with a pre-conflict average of about 130.