indica News Bureau-
India has condemned the escalating maritime conflict in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, April 28, describing military strikes on merchant vessels as “deplorable” and a direct threat to global economic stability.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel called for the immediate restoration of free navigation in the waterway. The Strait serves as a critical artery for India’s energy and economic security, carrying the vast majority of its crude oil and LNG imports.
Patel did not mention any country by name but alluded to Iran by recalling that India co-sponsored a Council resolution brought by Bahrain that condemned in the “strongest terms” Tehran’s attacks on its Middle East neighbors.
“It bears mention in this context that India had co-sponsored UNSC resolution 2817, which was adopted on 11th March”, she said.
Iran has attacked Indian ships and a vessel bound for it, and in assaults on ships of other countries, at least three Indian sailors have died.
The U.S. has also set up a blockade in the Hormuz region.
“We underscore that the targeting of commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members or otherwise impeding the freedom of navigation and commerce in the Strait of Hormuz are unacceptable”, Patel said at the meeting convened by Council President Bahrain on the situation in the Middle East.
She noted that unimpeded shipping through the Strait is important because it provides India with vital connectivity to a region with which its trade and energy supply chains are linked through geography, “with implications for economy and energy security”.
“Almost 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf region; their safety and well-being are a key priority for us”, she added.
Calling for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate the tensions in the Gulf region, she said, “The Middle East is our proximate neighborhood, and we have significant stakes in the security and stability of the region”.