Amid the rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said it is engaging with the authorities in Iran to ensure the safe passage of Indian vessels.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India had formally summoned the Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi on Saturday and conveyed its "deepest concern" over the firing by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on two Indian-flagged merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident came even as 14 Indian-flagged ships remain stranded in the waterway and Indian diplomats walk a carefully calibrated tightrope to protect both the vessels and Indian citizens inside Iran.
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The MEA called in Iran's Ambassador to India, Dr. Mohammad Fathali, for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi on Sunday evening. During the meeting, Misri conveyed India's deep concern at the shooting incident involving two Indian-flagged ships.
Jaiswal said on Monday, "Upon receiving information regarding the firing incident, the Government of India took serious diplomatic initiatives in the matter. The Iranian Ambassador to India was summoned, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed to the Ambassador that India is deeply concerned by this incident."
"We remain in constant contact with Iranian authorities regarding the safety of Indian vessels. We are continuously engaging with Iran to ensure safe passage for our ships."
Misri noted the importance India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners, and recalled that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India.
He urged the Iranian Ambassador to convey India's views to authorities in Tehran and resume the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait at the earliest. The Ambassador undertook to convey these views to the Iranian authorities.
The incident occurred on April 18, when, reportedly, IRGC troops opened warning fire at two Indian-flagged cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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No major damage was sustained - only glass panes in certain sections of the ships were shattered, reports said. But the episode sent alarm bells ringing in South Block.
The diplomatic sensitivity stems from India's precarious position in the crisis.
Fourteen Indian-flagged vessels remain stranded to the west of the Strait, among them three large oil tankers and one large LPG tanker. A large number of Indian citizens are also currently inside Iran, whose safety New Delhi treats as a paramount concern.
Meanwhile, since the conflict broke out on Feb. 28, India has successfully evacuated 10 Indian-flagged LPG and oil tankers from the region over 52 days.
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