External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has hailed direct talks with Iran as the most effective way to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid tension in West Asia
“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them, and my talking has yielded some results,” Jaishankar told the Financial Times in an interview published on 15 March. He said the talks are ongoing.
“If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it,” he said.
Jaishankar has held conversations on the phone four times with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in the wake of Iran closing the crucial Strait of Hormuz, hampering shipments of oil and fuel to several countries.
“Had another conversation with Iranian FM@araghchi yesterday night. Discussed bilateral matters as also BRICS related issues,” Jaishankar posted on X on Friday, after the fourth conversation between the two leaders.
Jaishankar suggested that diplomacy may be more effective than military pressure. “Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we co-ordinate and we get a solution than we don’t,” the Minister told FT in the interview.
“So if that sort of allows other people to engage, I think the world is better off for it," he said.
India and Iran have a relationship: EAM Jaishankar also spoke about the recent transit of two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers through the Strait as an example of progress through diplomatic engagement.
The vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, were carrying around 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG and are headed to India. They are expected to arrive at the ports of Mundra and Kandla, according to reports.
Jaishankar, however, clarified that India has not reached any “blanket arrangement” with Iran regarding India-flagged vessels.
Nor, he said, had India offered concessions in exchange, he insisted in the interview. “It’s not an exchange issue,” Jaishankar said.
“India and Iran have a relationship. And this is a conflict that we regard as something very unfortunate," he told FT.
US-Israel attacks on Iran The conflict in West Asia started after the US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, which led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February 28. Tensions escalated after Iran, in response, struck American and Israeli targets across various Gulf nations, damaging vital maritime routes and shaking international energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world’s oceans, and it has become a major problem for the global economy. Iran has vowed to block the region’s oil exports, saying it would not allow “even a single litre” to be shipped to its enemies. The snarls have sent oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatened a surge of painful inflation across the global economy if the blockage persists.
PM Modi speaks with Iranian President Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 March spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the escalating situation in West Asia and expressed concern over rising tensions, civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure in the region.
PM Modi said in a post on X that the conversation focused on the “serious situation” unfolding in the region amid intensifying hostilities.
“Reiterated India’s commitment to peace and stability and urged for dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Modi said.