Iran fulfilled its duty of friendship! Closed for the world, but the road of Hormuz will remain open for India

New Delhi/Tehran: Amidst the smell of gunpowder and deepening tension in West Asia (Middle East), a very relieving and good news has emerged for India. While there is a fear of the entire world’s supply chain being broken due to the war between Iran and Israel, Iran has made it clear that India was, is and will remain its staunch friend. This is the reason why Iran has decided to keep that sea route open for India, regarding which the whole world is trembling.

Iran has officially said that the doors of ‘Strait of Hormuz’ will always be open for India. Indian ships will be allowed to pass through here without any restriction and with complete security. This confidence of Iran has largely removed India’s concerns regarding energy security and oil and gas supply.

Friendly countries will get top priority

Giving India the status of a ‘special friend’, Iran in its statement said that the Indian flagged ships and the sailors on board are completely safe. The Iranian Embassy in India has also shared a post on social media assuring that there is no need for Indian ships to panic. Iran also made it clear that apart from India, ships of friendly countries like China, Russia, Iraq and Pakistan are also being allowed to pass through this route on priority basis.

This route is the world’s ‘energy lifeline’

Let us tell you that the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important sea routes in the world. About 20% of the entire world’s energy supply passes through this narrow path. Traffic on this route has been badly affected due to the recent conflict. Where earlier hundreds of ships used to leave here every day, now only a few ships are getting permission due to security reasons. In such a situation, this exemption given to India is no less than a jackpot.

Latest status of Indian ships

According to latest reports, till now at least eight Indian ships have safely exited this dangerous zone. These include big LPG carriers like ‘BW Tire’ and ‘BW Elm’, which have reached India with thousands of tonnes of gas. However, about 19 ships are still stuck in the area, loaded with crude oil and LNG. The Government of India and the Ministry of Shipping are continuously tracking the location of these ships.

Government’s close watch and global crisis

The Government of India is keeping an eye on this entire incident from moment to moment. Officials of the Ministry of Ports and Waterways have recently reviewed the situation. The first priority of the government is that there should be no shortage of petrol, diesel and gas within the country and the prices should remain stable in the market. There was a time when due to this tension, about 500 ships got stuck in this route, due to which global trade came to a standstill. But this step of Iran has raised hopes for India that the situation will become normal.

There is relief, but caution is also necessary

Even though Iran has given green signal to India for safe passage, the situation on the battlefield can change at any time. Experts believe that along with relief, India will have to exercise complete caution. This crisis reminds us how dependent our energy needs are on global politics. At present, India is trying to come out of this crisis on the basis of its strategic preparation and diplomacy.