Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Amidst calls by the US for a multinational naval coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, India Monday backed its own direct engagement with Iran for safe passage of ships, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar saying these talks have yielded “some results”. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said there had been no talks with US or any other country on Washington’s proposal for deployment of warships to escort vessels through the key energy route. Iran has so far allowed two India-flagged ships to cross the Strait, but 22 more Indian vessels still await clearance. Jaishankar, in Brussels for a meeting with counterparts from EU countries, told Financial Times there was no “blanket arrangement” with Iran on safe passage and “every ship movement is an individual happening”. “I am now engaged in talking to them and…(it) has yielded some results… If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it,” said the minister.
The remarks by Jaishankar – seeking reason and coordination with Iran – came a day after President Donald Trump said that the US was engaged with 7 countries for deployment of warships to secure the vital shipping route. The president has also warned NATO of a “very bad future” if allies don’t help the US in its efforts. However, countries like Germany and the UK have expressed little interest in getting dragged into a wider conflict. The Indian government also denied that India was among the countries that was in talks with the US on this issue. “We are aware of this matter being discussed by several countries. We have not yet discussed it bilaterally,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. According to Jaishankar, from India’s perspective, it’s better to reason and coordinate with Iran to reach a solution. “So, if that sort of allows other people to engage, I think the world is better off for it,” added Jaishankar. PM Narendra Modi had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on March 12 and stressed safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy. However, India has not yet condemned the US-Israel attacks on Iran and its efforts as BRICS chair to forge a consensus for a joint statement on the conflict have not borne fruit yet. Jaishankar also denied there was any exchange with Iran on the Hormuz safe passage issue and said he had engaged with Iran based on the 2 countries’ relationship and a “history of dealing with each other”. Official sources described as baseless reports that Iran had sought release of its 3 US-sanctioned ships, which India had seized earlier, in return for safe passage through Hormuz. Jaishankar, however, said these were still early days and India still had many ships that were waiting to cross the Strait that is under Iran’s control. “So, while this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that,” he said. The minister spoke about the still escalating conflict in the West Asia region in meetings Monday with his counterparts from the EU, Germany, Greece and Cyprus.
