‘Already yielding results’: EAM Jaishankar champions direct dialogue with Tehran to secure Indian tankers in Strait of Hormuz

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has championed direct dialogue with Tehran as the most efficient method for resuming maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, as India seeks to protect its energy security amidst intensifying Middle East tensions.

In an interview with the Financial Times UK, the Union Minister stated that New Delhi is currently engaging with Iran to facilitate the reopening of the vital waterway, which handles nearly 20 per cent of global oil trade. He noted that these discussions are “already yielding some results,” suggesting that India finds it more effective to “reason and coordinate” with Tehran rather than disengage.

“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,” Jaishankar remarked. The minister highlighted the recent passage of two Indian-flagged vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, as a practical success of this diplomatic strategy.

The tankers, carrying approximately 92,712 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are currently en route to the Indian ports of Mundra and Kandla. However, Jaishankar clarified that a formal “blanket arrangement” for all Indian-flagged ships has not yet been established. He explained that the transit of vessels is currently being managed on a “case-by-case basis.”

These remarks follow warnings from US President Donald Trump regarding potential additional strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. In a social media post, Trump urged international allies, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and Britain, to deploy naval assets to safeguard the shipping route.

Addressing India’s specific diplomatic path, Jaishankar maintained that New Delhi’s strategy is based on sustained dialogue. He mentioned that while India is open to sharing its experience with European nations, each country’s relationship with Iran is shaped by its own “circumstances.”

In a related incident, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed that the Indian-flagged tanker Jag Laadki departed from Fujairah on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 80,800 metric tonnes of Murban crude, had been loading at a facility when the terminal was targeted in an attack. (ANI)