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EAM Jaishankar said that New Delhi believes it is more productive to “reason and coordinate” with Iran rather than avoid engagement.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.(X/@DrSJaishankar)
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has hailed direct talks with Iran as the most effective way to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as India works to safeguard energy supplies amid rising West Asia tensions.
In an interview with the Financial Timesthe Union Minister said that New Delhi is in discussions with Tehran to help reopen the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil shipments pass. He said that the talks are “already yielding some results,” adding that New Delhi believes it is more productive to “reason and coordinate” with Iran rather than avoid engagement.
“Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don’t…While this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that,” he said.
Jaishankar further pointed to the recent transit of two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers – Shivalik and Nanda Devi – through the Strait on Saturday as an example of what diplomatic engagement can achieve. The vessels were carrying around 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG and are headed to India, with expected arrivals at Mundra and Kandla ports.
He, however, clarified that India has not yet reached any “blanket arrangement” with Iran regarding India-flagged vessels. According to Jaishankar, the movement of ships is currently being handled on a case-by-case basis.
His comments came amid escalating tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump warned that the United States could launch additional strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and urged allied nations to deploy naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social, Trump also called on countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to send warships to protect the key shipping route.
Jaishankar said that New Delhi’s approach focuses on maintaining dialogue with Tehran and emphasised that each country’s engagement with Iran depends on its own circumstances. When asked whether European nations could pursue a similar arrangement, Jaishankar said that every country’s engagement with Iran is shaped by its own circumstances. While direct comparisons may be difficult, he added that India would be willing to share its approach with European capitals, many of which also maintain channels of communication with Iran.
Meanwhile, India has requested safe passage for 22 of its vessels currently stranded west of the Strait. Officials said Iran has allowed a few Indian ships to transit the waterway in what appeared to be a rare exception to the ongoing blockade.
In a separate development, an Indian-flagged tanker carrying 80,800 metric tonnes of the United Arab Emirates’ Murban crude departed from Fujairah for India on Sunday. The vessel, Jag Laadki, had been loading at a single-point mooring facility when the Fujairah terminal came under attack, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
(With inputs from agencies)
March 16, 2026, 05:42 IST
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