NEW DELHI: India on Saturday expressed deep concern over the aftermath two Indian-flagged ships came under fire in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, summoning Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
The meeting between the two officials focused on ensuring the safety of Indian shipping in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors and resuming at the earliest the process of easing India-bound shipping across the Strait of Hormuz that has become a chokepoint in the expanding West Asian war.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi was called for a meeting with the Foreign Secretary this evening. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern over the firing incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
He added that Egypt emphasized the “importance that India attached to the security of merchant shipping and seafarers”, while recalling that Iran had previously facilitated safe passage for India-bound vessels through the route.
“Reiterating concern over this serious incident of firing on merchant ships, the Foreign Secretary asked the ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume the process of facilitating Indian-bound ships across the strait at the earliest,” Jaiswal said. The Iranian envoy, according to the MEA spokesman, “took it upon himself to convey these views to the Iranian authorities.”
