'India is our friend': Iran may allow safe passage for India-bound vessels through Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi: Iran may grant safe passage for vessels carrying oil and other cargo to India through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s envoy to New Delhi, Mohammad Fathali, said on Friday, a day after the newly appointed Supreme Leader of the Persian Gulf nation, Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the narrow sea-lane would remain blocked.

Tehran, however, nudged India, which holds the rotating chair of the BRICS now, to get the bloc – seen as a grouping of developing nations and often criticised by President Donald Trump – to condemn the military offensive launched by Israel and the United States on Iran. New Delhi, however, informed Tehran that, while it was discussing the issue with other BRICS members, a consensus remained elusive.

“Yes, because India is our friend. You will see it within two or three hours. We believe that Iran and India share common interests in the region,” Fathali told journalists in New Delhi. He was responding to questions about whether Iran could ensure the safety of merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz en route to ports in India.

He made the comment even as New Delhi started the process of repatriating the 183 members of the crew of the Iranian Navy ship IRIS Lavan, which had docked at Kochi in India on March 4, the same day the IRIS Dena, another warship of the Persian Gulf nation, had been torpedoed by a United States submarine in the Indian Ocean.

“The Government of India helps us, and we should also help the Government of India, because we share common faith and common interests,” Fathali said, on the sidelines of an event held on the occasion of the International Al-Quds Day in New Delhi. “We have tried our best to resolve the problems, and I think you will hear good news in this regard in the near future,” he added, responding to the question on the issue of the safety of the merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and heading towards India.

Close to half of India’s crude oil imports, nearly 2.5 million barrels per day, as well as a sizeable share of its liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas supplies, are typically transported through the Strait of Hormuz.

The security uncertainty around the narrow shipping lane in the Persian Gulf due to the escalating conflict between Iran, on one side, and Israel and the US, on the other, caused disruption in crude oil supply from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and liquefied natural gas from Qatar to India.

Tehran, according to the sources, informally conveyed to New Delhi late on Wednesday that the merchant vessels, not linked with and not carrying cargo financially beneficial to Israel or the US, could be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a case-by-case basis.

What, however, added to the uncertainty over the movement of oil tankers and other cargo ships was the statement of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed as the Supreme Leader of Iran after the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, in the Israeli-US missile strike on February 28. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart in Tehran, Abbas Araghchi, had another round of phone call – the fourth since the conflict began – late on Thursday, shortly after the statement of Mojtaba Khamenei was released from Tehran, and his statement about continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered confusion in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran and underlined the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy through the Persian Gulf.

A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Iran quoted Araghchi as telling Jaishankar that the BRICS should play a constructive role at this juncture in supporting regional and global stability and security. Jaishankar also confirmed in a post on X that he and Araghchi had discussed BRICS-related issues.

The BRIC comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China until its first expansion in 2010-11, when it was renamed BRICS and included South Africa. It added Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as new members in 2023-24.

Argentina later withdrew its application for BRICS membership after Javier Milei became president in December 2023.

Saudi Arabia delayed its process of joining the bloc, which is perceived as a counterweight to the G7. Indonesia joined the BRICS early this year.

Iran responded to the attacks launched against it by carrying out aerial offensives on Israel and the US allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE. Though New Delhi convened a meeting of senior officials from the BRICS member nations on Thursday, the fact that one member, the UAE, came under attack from Iran made it difficult to reach a consensus and develop a common position on the conflict, sources told DH.

“We told all sides to adopt the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict as soon as possible,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, said. “We are also talking to BRICS member states so that a consensus evolves on this issue.”