Tehran’s envoy in India has said bilateral ties remain “very strong” even as New Delhi raised concerns over a reported firing incident involving two Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, told mediapersons that relations between Tehran and New Delhi remain intact despite the episode.
“The relationship between Iran and India is very strong,” he said
He added he was not aware of details of the incident
Called for de-escalation in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran tensions
“We don’t want this war. We want peace… so that we can have a peaceful area,” Ilahi said.
New Delhi reacted sharply to the reported incident involving merchant vessels:
The foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” over the firing episode
Iran’s ambassador Mohammad Fathali was summoned
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed the importance of maritime safety
India underlined the need to protect:
Merchant shipping
Indian mariners operating in the region
Officials also noted that Iran had earlier helped ensure safe passage for India-bound vessels.
Shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com reported that:
Two Indian vessels were forced to turn back westward
The action was attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy
One vessel was a VLCC carrying about 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude
The ships were part of traffic attempting to pass through the Strait after Iran briefly declared the route open.
Iran had announced reopening of the Strait on Friday
A day later, Tehran said restrictions were reimposed
The latest development adds to uncertainty in one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, raising concerns over energy flows and shipping safety.