Amid ongoing US-Iran tensions, the Indian government has hailed its talks with Tehran after two tankers were allowed to pass through the affected Strait of Hormuz in the conflict-hit Middle East. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that diplomacy “is yielding results” but stressed there is still no agreement to fully reopen the key shipping route.
Talking to the Financial Times, Jaishankar said negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran that allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the Strait on Saturday showed what diplomacy could achieve.
“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results,” he said in an interview. “This is ongoing. If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it.”
“Certainly, from India's perspective, it is better that we reason and we co-ordinate and we get a solution than we don't,” he added. “So if that sort of allows other people to engage, I think the world is better off for it.”
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Jaishankar's comments came as US President Donald Trump urged China, France, the UK and other countries to send warships to help the US force open the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil flows, has been blocked by Iran since US-Israel strikes on the country on Feb. 28.
As a result, countries around the world are struggling to secure their energy supplies. Amid tensions, Iran on Saturday allowed two Indian-flagged LPG tankers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, to pass through the Strait.
While the Indian government maintains that it has adequate cooking gas supplies to meet household demand, fear and panic continues to grip people. Visuals have emerged from different parts of the country showing people in long queues outside LPG distribution centres.
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Amid concerns over shortage, the government has also ramped up the domestic LPG production and is making efforts to secure additional procurement. Commercial establishments have also been affected.
According to Reuters, India consumed about 33.15 million metric tonnes of cooking gas last year, with imports meeting roughly 60% of demand. Nearly 90% of those imports came from the Middle East.
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