'Jaishankar spoke to Iran FM 3 times': India flags ships safety, energy security concerns

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar has held three rounds of talks with his Iranian counterpart in recent days amid rising tensions in Middle East Asia, with discussions focusing on the safety of maritime shipping and India's energy security.Addressing the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal sai, "External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and the foreign minister of Iran have had three conversations in the recent days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to the safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything," Jaiswal said. However, the MEA declined to elaborate on the details of the conversations, indicating that the situation remains sensitive and fluid.The remarks come at a time when tensions in the Persian Gulf have heightened and concerns have grown over the safety of commercial shipping routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz — a critical passage for global oil trade and a major route for India’s energy imports. Meanwhile, Iran has allowed Indian-flagged vessels to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, even as maritime traffic through the strategic waterway has slowed sharply following the US-Israel strikes on Iran, according to a report in The Economic Times.Despite allowing Indian-flagged vessels to pass, Iran has warned that ships seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz must obtain its approval, failing which they could be targeted. Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the naval arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said two ships that ignored Iran’s warnings were struck while attempting to cross the strait on Wednesday.“Were the ships assured of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz? This should be asked of the crews of the vessels Express Rome and Mayuree Naree, who today, trusting in empty promises, ignored the warnings and intended to cross the Strait but were caught,” Tangsiri said in a post on X.“Any vessel intending to pass must obtain permission from Iran,” he added.India has been closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region, especially after recent incidents involving commercial vessels and disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.