'Baseless': India Dismisses Reports Of Iran's 'Vessels For Safe Passage' Demand Talks Between Nations Continue - Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday, described the reports as“baseless”, which suggested that Iran had demanded the return of three vessels seized by India in return for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

“This report is baseless. There has been no discussion between Indian and Iranian authorities of this nature. I would also like to say that in any case, the three vessels that you referred to are not Iranian-owned, neither are there any Iranian crew on these vessels,” ANI quoted Jaiswal as saying

He further added that "they are not tankers, they are vessels."

The MEA spokesperson's comments come in the wake of reports claiming Iran demanded the return of three tankers seized by India in exchange for permitting the safe passag of Indian-flagged or India-bound ships from the Strait of Hormuz.

India still in talks with Iran over several ships

Jaiswal further said that India is still in talks with Iran regarding several ships that are still there in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are in talks with Iran and other countries. As our Special Secretary mentioned, many ships are still there in the Strait of Hormuz area. It is our intention to work with Iran and other countries to bring those ships back home safely. This is our objective. Discussions are ongoing on this issue. Regarding humanitarian aid, we are in talks with Iran on a number of issues,” said Jaiswal.

Why is Strait of Hormuz in focus?

US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February. Tehran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military facilities across the Gulf region.

Iran also attacked ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz – a key sea route through which India gets 85-90% of its LPG imports from West Asian nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The disruptions led to consecutive days of LPG shortages in India, with supply issues reporte across major cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai.

The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime link between the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and serves as a key route for roughly a quarter of the world's liquefied natural gas and seaborne exports from Gulf nations to global markets.

Described by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) as one of the world's most important oil chokepoints, the strait handles about 20 million barrels of oil per day - roughly one-fifth of global consumption - and around one-fifth of global LNG trade, mainly from Qatar.

Earlier, Iran's ambassador to India – Mohammad Fathali said that – Tehran will ensure safe passage to vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, citing 'friendly relations' between the two nations.

On Tuesday, India also reiterated its longstanding position calling for immediate de-escalation through dialogue in the ongoing tensions in West Asia.

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