Kamal Ghorui
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that Iran had formally requested permission for three of its vessels to dock at Indian ports, a request that India granted the very next day.Amid rising tensions in the Indian Ocean after last week’s sinking of an Iranian warship by the US, Jaishankar briefed Parliament about the incident.In a statement in the Parliament, the foreign minister said one Iranian vessel, IRIS LAVAN, docked in Kochi on March 4.It is for the first time a senior minister said that Iran requested for docking of three of its ships in Indian ports.“The Iranian side has requested permission on February 28 for three ships in the region to dock at our ports. This was accorded on March 1. IRIS LAVAN actually docked on March 4 in Kochi. The crew is currently in Indian naval facilities,” he said.“We believe that this was the right thing to do and the Iranian foreign minister has expressed his country’s thanks for this humane gesture,” Jaishankar said.The sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka on March 4 triggered concerns about the expansion of the conflict in West Asia to the Indian Ocean region.The warship was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise as well as International Fleet Review hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.Another Iranian warship was allowed to dock by Sri Lanka at its eastern port of Trincomalee.The vessel, IRINS Bushehr, had sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters, citing an engine failure.In his remarks, Jaishankar also said that the government is fully committed to ensure the country’s energy security.The global energy supplies have witnessed some disruptions in view of the escalating conflict in West Asia.“In view of the implications of this conflict for our energy security, I also seek to address that particular concern. The government remains committed to ensuring that fully, taking into account the availability, costs and risks of the energy markets,” the external affairs minister said.“For us, the interests of the Indian consumers have and will always be the overriding priority. Where required, Indian diplomacy has supported the endeavours of our energy enterprises in this volatile situation,” he said.Jaishankar also said that India believed that dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate the tensions in the Middle East.While outlining India’s stand in Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the developments and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses.The EAM said that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is of “particular concern” for India as over one crore Indians live and work in the Gulf nations and region. He also added that the region is key to India’s energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas.“Contacts with Iran at the leadership level are obviously difficult at this time….Iran’s foreign minister has expressed his country’s thanks to India for this human gesture of permitting the Iranian warship Lavan to dock at Kochi port.”
