Days after Iran allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that his talks with the Iranian authorities have yielded “some results. He further stated that it was an “ongoing process.”
“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them, and my talking has yielded some results. This is ongoing. If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it,” Dr Jaishankar told Financial Times.
“Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution,” he added.
‘No sweeping arrangement on ship passage’
However, Jaishankar clarified that there was no sweeping arrangement with Iran with regard to Indian flagged ships. He further stated that the passage of “every ship movement is an individual happening”.
The External Affairs Minister asserted that India did not provide Iran anything in exchange for the passage of ships, adding that he had engaged with Tehran based on long-lasting bilateral ties between the two countries.
‘Not an exchange issue’
“It’s not an exchange issue. India and Iran have a relationship. And this is a conflict that we regard as something very unfortunate,” he said.
“These are still early days. We have many more ships there. So while this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that,” added Jaishankar.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed issues related to the transit of goods and energy supplies.
Indian LPG tankers pass Strait of Hormuz
The conversation comes days after two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas moved safely through the Strait of Hormuz, which has emerged as a key chokepoint amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The strait serves as the Persian Gulf’s only maritime outlet to the Arabian Sea.
The vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, are transporting around 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG and are expected to reach the ports of Mundra Port and Kandla Port within the next couple of days.
Energy security concerns rise
The strait, which handles nearly 20 per cent of global crude oil and natural gas flows, has been blocked by Iran following attacks by the United States and Israel.
The disruption has raised concerns over energy security in major Asian markets including India and China.
India’s dependence on LPG imports
India is the world’s fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas and the second-largest buyer of LPG, which is widely used for cooking. Much of this supply comes from the Middle East.
Amid worries over supply disruptions, the government had earlier directed that gas availability be prioritised for households and the transport sector. Several industries, including ceramic tile manufacturers, are already facing shortages that could affect production.
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