NEW DELHI: Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali on Friday confirmed that Tehran will ensure safe passage for ships heading to India through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Responding to a question about the transit of Indian-bound vessels through the crucial global energy corridor, Fathali said Iran considers India a close partner. He emphasised that both nations share longstanding friendship and common interests.
“Iran and India are friends. We have common interests and a common fate,” Fathali said, adding that the suffering of people in one country is shared by the other.
The ambassador also stated that Iranian authorities have instructed the embassy in India to assist the Indian government and ensure smooth cooperation during the ongoing regional tensions.
Meanwhile, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, clarified that Iran has not officially closed the Strait of Hormuz, although the current situation has made navigation difficult for several vessels.
Ilahi also urged global leaders to intervene and press Donald Trump, President of the United States, to halt the ongoing conflict, saying that rising oil prices and instability are affecting people across the world.
The latest escalation in the West Asia conflict began on February 28, involving Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other, severely impacting the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical routes for global energy trade.
