'Only India Lost Mariners': Govt Calls For Reopening of Strait of Hormuz at UK Summit Amid Raging Iran War
Representing India among over 60 nations at the virtual summit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reaffirmed that New Delhi views diplomacy as the only sustainable route toward cooling regional tensions.
- World News
- 3 min read
New Delhi: As the war in West Asia intensifies, India has issued an urgent call for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global artery currently paralyzed by an Iranian blockade.
Representing New Delhi at a UK-led summit of over 60 nations, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri underscored the unique gravity of the crisis, pointedly noting that India remains the only nation to have suffered citizen fatalities within the conflict-hit waterway.
"He emphasised the impact of the crisis on India's energy security and the fact that India remains the only country to have lost mariners in attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Misri, meanwhile, also reaffirmed that New Delhi views diplomacy as the only sustainable route toward cooling regional tensions.
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India's energy security
Underscoring the crisis’s immediate impact, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the threat to India’s energy security, which is inextricably linked to stability in West Asia. He noted that regional turbulence has already resulted in concrete challenges for India, specifically regarding the safety of its maritime trade routes.
"He also underlined that the way out of the crisis consisted of de-escalation and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue among all concerned parties," it added.
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Three Indian seafarers killed
Notably, of the eight Indian nationals killed in the West Asia war, three were seafarers who lost their lives during maritime attacks on merchant ships in the opening stages of the crisis.
Hormuz Talks
Seeking an end to the "chokehold" on the Strait of Hormuz, India took part in a 60-nation summit hosted by the UK to address the spiraling global energy crisis.
With the Persian Gulf gripped by unprecedented volatility, concerns are mounting over the safety of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. For India, the stakes are domestic as a top global oil consumer, New Delhi views the restoration of maritime security as essential for its economic survival.
President Trump's address
This UK-led summit followed closely on the heels of President Trump’s first televised address regarding the escalating war.
In his remarks, Trump on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route off the coast of Iran, will reopen "naturally" once the ongoing conflict concludes in the region, amid concerns over the rising global oil prices.
He emphasised that the reopening of the key maritime corridor would play a crucial role in restoring balance in global energy supply chains and financial markets, which have seen significant disruption since the start of the conflict in February.
"Iran has been essentially decimated - the hard part is done, so it should be easy, and in any event, when this conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally; it will just open up naturally," Trump said.