Kamal Ghorui
Iran on Thursday said its “Indian friends” need not worry about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, assuring they are “in safe hands,” even as tensions remain high over control of the key shipping route amid the ongoing conflict.“Our Indian friends are in safe hands, no worries,” said Iran embassy in India on X, adding to a post that said, “ONLY Iran and Oman will decide the future of the Strait of Hormuz.”India is among the few nations that have gotten permission to have their ships cross the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’ ongoing conflict with US and Israel. Iran, last week, had also said that it’s allowing transit for “friendly nations”, which includes India. Last week as well, Tehran permitted access through the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, even as military escalation in the region intensified. The development coincides with New Delhi’s renewed energy engagement with Iran, with a Bloomberg report noting that India has purchased its first LPG cargo from the country since 2018, after imports were halted in 2019 following Western sanctions.The Strait of Hormuz remains a key global oil lifeline, a critical chokepoint that has grown increasingly volatile amid the US–Israel offensive on Iran. Tehran’s strong retaliatory response has included moves to choke this vital waterway, raising fears that any sustained disruption could severely impact global energy flows.
