On Saturday, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister, said the attacks on crucial facilities in Western Asia are wrong and said shipping routes need to stay open while speaking to President Pezeshkian of Iran. The discussion centered around stability in the region, making sure energy supplies continue, and keeping Indian people safe as attacks on oil and gas places increase.
Modi stresses freedom of navigation and infrastructure protection
Modi explained to Pezeshkian that attacking important infrastructure makes the area unstable and throws off how goods get around the world. He said steps should be taken to ensure ships can travel freely, and that commercial ships and energy shipments can go through the sea safely.
Modi specifically pointed out the danger of the Strait of Hormuz possibly closing. He cautioned that if that happened, countries that buy energy would be affected, getting goods around would become more difficult, and costs for people and companies everywhere would go up.
On X (formerly Twitter), Modi quickly repeated how important it is to protect sea routes and to have commercial ships continue to be able to pass safely. He also said India will continue to talk with leaders from around the globe to try and get all sides to come to a peaceful solution.
Iran calls on BRICS and proposes a regional security framework
During the call, President Pezeshkian asked India, which is currently leading BRICS, to help the group take a separate position in stopping what he called attacks on Iran. He said the attacks by the US and Israel need to stop right away for the conflict to end.
Pezeshkian suggested that countries in Western Asia create a way to ensure security in the area, to lessen outside involvement and encourage cooperation between countries in the region to make things more stable. He also indicated Iran is willing to talk with world leaders by phone and in person.
According to what Iran said afterward, they want BRICS to condemn the recent attacks and help find a way to calm things down using diplomacy. Indian officials have said it’s hard to get BRICS to all agree on something because they all have to be in agreement.
Energy security at the heart of bilateral concerns
India gets a lot of its energy from the region and has been actively trying to ensure its own tankers and ships can get through safely. Officials are keeping track of 22 ships flying the Indian flag that are to the west of the Strait of Hormuz, including ships that carry LPG, one LNG carrier, and crude oil tankers with a lot of fuel.
A lot is at risk: the goods on those ships include hundreds of thousands of tonnes of LPG and LNG and over a million tonnes of crude oil. If these shipments are stopped for long, it will impact the energy supply within the country and the fuel used by industry.
Iran did recently allow two Indian LPG tankers to go through the Strait of Hormuz, which shows that even with political disagreements, they can still cooperate when it comes to shipping.
Protecting Indian nationals and sustained diplomatic engagement
Modi thanked Iran for helping to protect Indian citizens in Iran and sent Pezeshkian greetings for Eid and Nowruz. The safety of around and estimated 10 million Indians who live and work in the Middle East is a main priority for India’s foreign policy.
S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, has also been frequently in contact with his counterparts in Iran, with multiple phone calls to discuss what’s happening in the region and what it means. India has made it a priority to allow its citizens to be contacted by the consulate, to plan for getting people out of the area if needed, and to work with others to keep its citizens safe.
Regional implications and a cautious path forward
These conversations demonstrate that even attacks on energy facilities in a small area can cause wider problems for the world and the market. Interruption to supply chains, higher shipping insurance, and higher energy prices are immediate worries for both businesses and individuals.
Modi made the point that going to war won’t help anyone and encouraged everyone involved to aim for peace. Because tensions are still high, diplomatic talks, discussions with many countries, and ways to make sure shipping lanes remain open will all be essential to stop even worse economic and humanitarian problems.
